


Meet Me In The Silence

by AngelOnFire (Katherine3), LI0NH34RT



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, otherwise it's safe I promise, the tiniest bit of smut in the last scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 06:06:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 33,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17657345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine3/pseuds/AngelOnFire, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LI0NH34RT/pseuds/LI0NH34RT
Summary: Theo Raeken is a romantic. He doesn’t always show it, hiding feelings behind sarcastic behaviour and snarky remarks, but he believes in love; simple crushes and true, earth shattering love and everything in between.Liam never believed in love at first sight, until he saw Theo Raeken for the first time.Or the one where Liam and Theo are already in relationships but even that won't stop them from being together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is something me and Janna have been working on for a few months now and I'm SO EXCITED to finally be able to post the first chapter!  
> Liam's POV is written by Katherine and Theo's by Janna and they will intertwine throughout the story.  
> We hope you will like the story 😊

Liam never believed in love at first sight. He always thought that those moments in movies when a boy sees a girl, or a girl sees a boy, and they're just completely in love with that stranger they never even talked to before, are completely unrealistic. Love was something that had to evolve. You meet someone, you find out you have common interests, spend time together, become friends and after a while decide if you want to stay just friends or become something more. And when you do give it a chance, you get intimate with that person and start to love them. That's how it was with him and Hayden. And he truly believed that was how it works for everyone.

Until he saw Theo Raeken for the first time.

 

 

Liam’s team just finished practice and he’s sitting on a bench, siping his water, when his eyes land on someone walking across the field. Liam almost chokes when he sees that handsome boy with the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen.

"Are you okay?" Scott asks, as he pats Liam's back to make sure he doesn't die.

"Yeah" Liam says with a nod, coughing a little "Yeah, I'm good" He assures his teammate, before he turns his eyes back to the unknown boy that is now kissing Stiles' cheek.

Liam finds himself unable to look away. He’s sure he looks creepy with the way he is just staring at the other man, but he can’t help it.

"Hey, do you know who's that guy talking to Stiles? He's not from our school, is he?" Liam asks, knowing that Scott will know the answer as he and Stiles are best friends.

"No, he's not. And that's Theo, Stiles' boyfriend" Scott replies with a shrug.

Liam frowns softly "Boyfriend? Since when Stiles has a boyfriend?"

Scott sighs softly "They've been together for about 5 months. Stiles is just a private person and doesn't rub his relationship in our faces like you do with Hayden"

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Liam asks, turning his head back to look at Scott. Taking his eyes off of Theo isn't easy.

Scott rolls his eyes "Come on, when she gives you good luck kisses before the games it's like you almost eat each other's faces. We're all betting when the kisses will turn into a good luck sex in the locker room" He says with a small chuckle.

This time Liam is the one to roll his eyes. He looks back at Theo again just to see the other looking at him. Even though there’s a distance between them, Liam can see just how green and deep Theo's eyes are. Liam can feel himself still like a deer in the headlights. They’re just staring at each other for what felt like a second and eternity at the same time, before Theo gives him a polite smile and focuses back on Stiles. His boyfriend.

 

After taking a quick shower in the locker room and putting on some fresh clothes, Liam gets out into the parking lot, where Mason is already waiting for him.

“I didn’t see you on the bleechers” Liam points out, as he walks over to his best friend. He smirks when he notices a blush form on the other’s cheeks.

“Yeah, I was actually behind. Kinda busy” Mason replies, avoiding Liam’s eyes.

Liam chuckles softly and raises an eyebrow “Corey?”

“Corey” Mason admits, before they both get into the car.

Liam thinks it’s cute, they are obviously really into each other, but they are both kind of shy so neither actually asks the other out on a real date or make things official.

They don’t talk much during the ride to Liam’s place, where they plan to spend the evening eating pizza and playing video games. They are actually singing most of the way, Mason playing their favourite playlist with all the songs they both love very much.

After a few hours of eating pizza, playing video games and even watching a movie, they decide to have one last round of Mario Kart. The loser is suppose to be the one to clean up the mess they made with pizza boxes, tissues and empty cans of soda.

"Hey, Mason" Liam says to his best friend as the last lap starts "Do you believe in love at first sight?" He asks.

Mason raises an eyebrow as he looks over at his best friend "Excuse me?"

Liam sighs and bites his lower lip "You heard me" He mumbles.

"Yeah, I heard you. I just can't believe that Liam 'romance movies are so fucking fake' Dunbar would ask me a question like that" Mason says as he moves to face Liam "What happened?"

Liam rolls his eyes "Nothing, forget it" He replies, trying to focus back on the game, even though there’s no point as he is in the last place and Mason is right ahead of him, as they didn't pay attention to the game.

Mason groans a little "No, I'm sorry for teasing you. Please tell me"

Liam lets out a long sigh, looking over at his best friend. He knows that if he could tell anyone about it, it'd be Mason. He’s understanding and almost not at all judgy and he always believed in love.

"I saw someone today. And I just can't get them out of my head. All I can think about is that beautiful, amazing smile. And how much I want to see it again. How much I want to be the reason that smile is even there. I never even talked to that person, I've never seen them before in my life and yet I can't get them out of my head"

Mason hums, as he listens "So it's a guy" He says casually, making Liam frown.

"How do you know that it's a guy?" Liam asks, a little confused.

"You're super obvious about it. If it were a girl you would just say she. But when you talk about guys you go into that 'they' mode for some reason" Mason replies with a shrug.

"Hey, maybe... he could be transgender. Or gender fluid. I don't know that, you don't know that and we should respect his life choices and his feelings" Liam replies with a soft pout.

"Uhhu. And you just said 'he' " Mason notices, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

Liam sighs and rolls his eyes "Okay, fine, I think it's a he. Doesn't even matter, I probably will never see that person again. And if I do, it'll be only from afar, so all I can do is admire that damn smile" He replies, finally turning the game off, as they both lost and didn't even finish the race.

"Why don't you just talk to him then?" Mason asks after a moment of silence.

"For a one little reason called Hayden? I have a girlfriend and I love her very much. I won't ruin the relationship that we worked on for so long because of some guy with a nice smile" Liam says, sighing deeply.

Mason hums as he watches his friend “Fair enough”, he states, getting up from the floor that he’s been sitting on. “I’m gonna head out. It’s getting late” He states, softly patting his friend on the shoulder “You should try and forget about the guy”.

“Believe me, that’s all I’ve been trying to do today” Liam replies with a huff and gets up from the bed, pulling his best friend into a hug and softly patting his back when they are in each other’s embrace.

“Will you take the trash with you, please?” Liam askes against Mason’s shoulder.

The other pulls back with a frown “No way, you lost” He protests/

Liam groans and rolls his eyes again “We both lost” He states with a shrug, while Mason grins in reply.

“No, I was 11th” He says, before he grabs his stuff and waves to Liam as he leaves his room.

When Mason is gone, Liam goes to get a shower and then gets into his bed. He decides to take the trash before school next morning, they were all in his room anyway, so his parents wouldn’t mind, and he really doesn’t care.

Liam stares at the ceiling for the longest time, trying to fall asleep, but all his thoughts are going back to Theo. To those green eyes. To that polite smile that he gave him when he was looking right at him. A smile that was just for Liam and no one else. 

He grabs his phone and decides to text his girlfriend, hoping that maybe it could get his mind off of Theo. After all, that’s what girlfriends are for, right? Taking your mind from thinking about other people.

 

To: Hayden 11:43 pm  
Hey, are you awake?

From: Hayden 11:44 pm  
Yeah, just getting ready for bed. Is everything okay?

To: Hayden 11:45 pm  
Yeah, of course. I just miss you :*

From: Hayden 11:51 pm  
Haha, miss you too, love. But I’m actually really tired, we’ll talk tomorrow, okay?

To: Hayden 11:52 pm  
Sure. Sweet dreams, love you.

From: Hayden 11:55 pm  
Love you, too :*

 

Liam sighs softly as he puts his phone away. So much for Hayden helping him to stop thinking about someone else. He closes his eyes and stops moving his body. He ignores all the uncomfortableness of his limbs and itching that he feels on his skin. He read an article once that if you don’t move for 15 minutes your body will fall asleep and then your mind will, too. It feels weird, but it actually worked for him a few times, so he decids to try it again.

Liam falls asleep thinking of Theo’s smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo visits his boyfriend at school and spots a pair of striking blue eyes on the field.

Theo Raeken is a romantic. He doesn’t always show it, hiding feelings behind sarcastic behaviour and snarky remarks, but he believes in love; simple crushes and true, earth shattering love and everything in between.  

  
When he met Stiles, he felt as if all his wishes came true. They had been childhood friends but lost contact after they went to different schools. As soon as Theo was back in Beacon Hills, he reached out to Scott and Stiles, wanting to meet old friends.   
What he found instead was what he believed to be the love of his life. 

  
And now, five month later, as he walks over the lacrosse field to greet Stiles, his stomach still flutters excitedly at the sight of the boy's smile and he is still feels a rush of pure happiness. 

  
   
“Hey baby!” Stiles greets him and leans in for the obligatory hug, but Theo stops him with a quick kiss on the cheek “please, you will get your hug - after you shower.”   
Siles pouts but he quickly catches himself again and starts chattering about this new cafe he wants to take Theo to after training.   
Theo nods along, quickly getting bored as he had heard it all before, his gaze wandering over the field, taking in the other players. He sees Scott standing to the side talking animatedly to a shorter boy. Just as Theo wants to avert his gaze the boy raises his head and looks straight into his eyes.   
It is like getting an electrical shock. _Damn..._

  
The boy's eyes are blue like the ocean, he can see it even across the field. A weird tingling sensation spreads from his chest. 

  
“Theo!” Stiles exclaims, “you aren’t listening!”   
He sends the boy a polite smile before turning back to his boyfriend. “I am sorry, I was just thinking about that cafe and what I want to drink.”   
His answer seems to calm Stiles because the boy nods enigmatically and grabs his hand, pulling him towards the locker rooms. 

  
   
One hour later Theo sits on an uncomfortable plastic stool in one of those hipster cafes he always tried to avoid so far. His salted caramel latte comes in a fancy craft beer glass and the cheesecake he ordered with it has its title _deconstructed_ for good reason because it’s a mess.   
Stiles however looks like this is his natural habitat. He gestures wildly as he launches in yet another story about his last lesson with Derek. 

  
Derek Hale, sophomore college student and Stiles' tutor for English and Spanish. Stiles is infatuated with the older man and even though it stings Theo a little he isn’t as bothered as he should be hearing his boyfriend gush over another man.   
Sure, it hurts but Theo loves Stiles and Stiles loves him, they have known each other since kindergarten and their relationship exists for nearly half a year, that has to mean something right?  

  
   
“... and then Derek said my pronunciation got so much better since I train my tongue! Isn’t that great? He is such a good teacher!” Stiles practically beams and suddenly Theo has to suppress the need to scream. _Why is it always about Derek?_   
“Hey Stiles”, he interrupts yet another praise, “who was the guy talking to Scott earlier?”   
If Stiles is taken aback he doesn't show it. “You mean Liam? He is a junior and Scott is gonna make him captain next year. Great kid, a little explosive sometimes but as long as he helps us win right?” he laughs.   
   
 _Liam...  such a beautiful name..._   
“Why do you ask?” _Damned be Stiles' curiosity!_  
“Am I not allowed to ask who my friends are talking to? Maybe I just didn’t want to hear another story of the great Derek Hale!” now Theo gets worked up, “You know what? I have enough for today, I’m off.” He pushes away his plate, the ridiculous cake only half-eaten, and gets to his feet. 

  
Stiles watches him with wide unbelieving eyes and an open mouth.   
“Don’t bother getting up, I will find my way home.”   
With that Theo tosses a few dollars on the table and storms off. 

  
   
A few hours later, when Theo is lying in his bed, his phone pinged multiple times with messages from his boyfriend.    
This isn’t the first time they had an argument, and by far not the worst but somehow Theo feels more worked up over it than ever.  

  
He ignores another message from Stiles and opens up his laptop instead, typing ‘Beacon Hills High school Lacrosse team’ in the search bar. After the page loaded he clicks around a few times until Liam's blue eyes stare up at him from the screen. _Liam Dunbar, 16, junior, vice-captain_ his info box says.   
From close up the colour of his eyes is even more striking and his jawline could cut paper; Liam’s face looks tense on most pictures Theo clicks through as he searches the sports blog on the website, a hidden violence lingering under the handsome surface, only revolving when he plays. The boy is fascinating. 

  
   
Its official. Theo is a stalker. Instead of cooking a nutritious dinner or finally answering Stiles (he stopped texting after three hours) he has thrown together a sandwich and then opened up the Google search once more. Now he scrolls through Liam's social media profiles - not that the other boy had tried to hide them, finding his accounts had been ridiculously easy and Liam's handle @dundundunbar made Theo snort. 

He finds some reblogs from history and sports websites, mostly pictures of lacrosse practice, along with a few aesthetic shots of food and the sunset at the beach, his best friends Mason and Corey and his... girlfriend? Yep, they were definitely kissing on that picture. Her profile is linked and when he clicks on @hayhayr he sees that she has the exact same picture uploaded.   
A feeling like disappointment rushes through Theo, but why should he feel disappointment? He doesn’t even know this Liam guy, why does he care if he has a girlfriend? 

  
Theo looks back on his screen. “Romero and Juliet” does the caption say, complete with the obligatory heart eyes and kissing emoji. They look happy and in love, smiling into the kiss.   
He returns to Liam’s profile and in a knee jerk reaction clicks on follow before his brain began tell him that this isn’t a very good idea.   
All of a sudden he feels sick and with a definite movement he closes his laptop and grasps for the phone instead.  

  
Time to talk to Stiles.   



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam can't get Theo out of his head, and having a coversation with the guy only makes things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not used to writing in present tense, so sorry if I messed up some grammar.
> 
> xx   
> Katherine

Liam nibbles on his thumb fingernail as his other thumb is scrolling up Theo’s instagram account. It’s been two days since he woke up to a notification that stated “@TRaeken is following you”. He didn’t think anything of it at the time, until he actually opened his instagram and saw who the account belongs to.

The boy with the most beautiful smile in the world.

Since then Liam has seen each of his pictures at least three times, some of them he’s more fond of, those he stared at about ten times. He's seen his favourites probably 50 times already. He even liked one of his photos. It was a total accident and he almost got a heart attack when it happened, but it was luckily one of Theo’s recent posts, so he probably didn’t know that Liam had been going through his profile over and over again.

Liam hadn't followed Theo back. After spending so much time looking at those bright, green eyes, beautiful smile and those amazing strong arms, he felt like following him back would be almost like cheating on Hayden at this point.

“Who’s that?” Liam almost jumps out of his skin when he hears Hayden talking right next to him. He hadn’t noticed the girl walking over to his table or even sitting next to him.

“No one” Liam says quickly as he takes his phone from the table, where it fell after he practically had a heart attack. “Just a guy who followed me, I was curious who he was, so I went through his profile” He explains himself quickly, before he shrugs. 

Lies. Since when is he lying? Even worse, since when is he lying to his girlfriend? Isn’t she the one that is supposed to be his future? His life? How could he lie to her like that? He chose her to be in his life, they chose each other. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth about the guy that he couldn’t get out of his head.

“He’s kinda cute” Hayden says casually, looking at his phone.

Liam hums as he raises an eyebrow at his girlfriend “Is he, now? Cuter than your boyfriend?” He asks.

Hayden giggles and shakes her head “No one is cuter than my boyfriend” She says, as her hands travel to his cheeks and she gives him a sweet kiss.

“Seriously guys? Right in front of my salad? I’m trying to eat here” Mason groans. Liam looks over at his best friend. When did Mason sit in front of him? How long has he and Corey been sitting with him at the table? He should really get off Theo’s Instagram and start paying attention to the world around him.

Hayden rolls her eyes at Mason, before she looks back at Liam “So, I’ve been thinking, I should wear one of those two. Which one do you like more?” She asks, before she takes her phone out of her pocket and shows Liam pictures of two dresses.

“Huh?” Is his response as he stares at both of them. To him they look pretty much the same, only the colour is different.

“Which one should I wear to Lydia’s party on Friday, after you win the game?” Hayden prompts “We talked about it this morning, remember?” She adds. Liam probably still looks confused, because he honestly does not remember. What is Theo doing to him?

“How do you know that we’ll win?” Liam asks instead, wanting to distract his girlfriend from the fact he doesn’t remember their conversation from few hours earlier.

It seems to work, because she smiles at him fondly “My boyfriend is the best player I’ve ever seen, so I know we will win” She replies, before she kisses his cheek. Another groan comes from Mason’s side.

They win.

Mostly because Liam is playing rough. Is it because he notices Theo on the bleachers right before the game? Maybe. Is he trying to stop himself from glancing at the other every five seconds? Possibly. Does he succeed? Absolutely not.

Lucky for him, Hayden is sitting right next to Theo, which could mean he is looking at her and not him. Or at least that’s how he’d explain himself if anyone asked. He just couldn’t take his eyes off his beautiful girlfriend. Yup, that’s what happened.

The worst part is, he isn’t trying to lie to anyone, because frankly, no one asked. No one noticed. No one cared. He is trying to lie to himself. He has a girlfriend. She is beautiful, smart, funny and exciting. And he chose to be with her. So why is his mind coming back to a guy he’s never even talked to before? A guy who has a boyfriend and is probably very happy with his relationship. Why wouldn’t he be? Stiles is a great guy. He is smart and funny. Not exactly Liam’s type, but he isn’t bad looking, either.

Yes, they are surely both happy with their relationships. Liam almost convinced himself of that.

“Hey, how do you like the party?” Lydia asks, standing in front of him. Honestly, Liam should stop spacing out or he’ll soon forget his own name.

“Yeah, it’s great” Liam replies, taking a sip of his drink as he looks around at all the people talking, dancing and basically just having fun.

“Are you sure? You seem to be somewhere else” Lydia says, watching him closely.

“Just thinking about the game” Liam replies with a shrug. So that’s when lying to others starts? He’s much better at lying to himself, honestly.

“Well, you were a star tonight” Lydia says with a smile, before she looks away when someone calls her name. “I’m gonna go. But I hope you’ll start enjoying yourself soon” She says, before she leaves him alone.

Liam sighs and finishes his drink, before he puts his cup down on a table that is near him. He isn’t really in a mood for a party. His head is a mess, something he’s never experienced before, and he is honestly not feeling good about it. He decides to get some fresh air, so he starts pushing through the crowd mumbling ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’ to anyone he walks past.

Liam finally gets to the door that lead outside into the garden and sneaks out. The night is pretty chilly for California weather, so that’s probably why no one else is outside at the moment. He sits down on a garden swing and lets out a long sigh, as he looks at the people through the glass door. He should really pull himself together and figure out what is going on with him.

Sure, Theo is handsome, but he’s seen many attractive guys before and none of them made him feel… like that. Liam’s absently playing with his fingers when he feels someone sit next to him. Hayden. He really isn’t in the mood for her right now. He does felt guilty about it, but he can’t help it.

When Liam looks up though, he is met with the most beautiful green eyes, this time looking at him from up close. Theo. Theo is sitting next to him. Theo is looking at him. Theo is there. For real.

“Hey” Liam finally speaks, not sure how he manages to actually say anything with Theo sitting right there next to him.

“Hello Liam. You played well tonight.” Theo replies, and Liam almost has a heart attack. Not because he is surprised, he is obviously aware of Theo’s presence, but it is the first time he hears Theo’s voice. And if he wasn’t obsessed with the guy before, he sure as hell will be now.

Liam knows he has to play it cool, but it’s hard to do with Theo being so close to him. Theo with this gorgeous smile, deep green eyes and a voice of an angel.

“Thanks. So um... you're enjoying the party?” Liam finally manages to ask, and luckily his voice isn’t shaking like he expected it to.

“Well, it's not the worst party I've ever been to. But actually I am just here because Stiles wanted to come.”

“Oh, don't you like parties? Or were you just not in a mood for this one?” Liam asks, softly raising an eyebrow at the other. He starts to feel better around Theo, now that they actually start talking and he isn’t just the hot guy that Liam stalked on Instagram.

Liam watches as Theo leans back on the seat and starts to swing a little, before he shrugs “I do like parties, but it all seems to depend on what people are present. What about you? Why is the star of the Lacrosse team all by himself in this garden after such a spectacular win?”

Liam hums and leans back as well to show just how cool and comfortable he is. In reality, he is not. How could he be cool around someone like Theo? 

“Maybe I don't like the attention of the crowd.” Liam replies with a little shrug.

Theo raises an eyebrow as he looks directly into Liam’s eyes. The younger man finds it almost impossible to look away. “Oh really? And what would have somebody like you have to fear from them?”

Liam licks his lips as he tries to think of a good response to that. He can’t help but glance at Theo’s lips. Is it just him or is Theo actually leaning closer to him? Liam quickly looks down, because staring at Theo’s lips is a very bad idea. It can’t end well.

Liam takes a deep breath, before he looks up at Theo with a cocky smile “Maybe I have a deep, dark secret and I'm scared someone will figure it out.” He replies. A little flirting didn’t kill anybody… right?

A lazy smile spreads across Theo’s lips before he says “Well, aren't you just a mysterious little thing...”

Liam’s lips go into an ‘o’ shape, his eyes narrowed and his hand going to his heart, as he lets out a play-offended sound “Excuse me, I'm pretty sure that I am not shorter than you, so calling me a little thing is a bit hypocritical.” he says, before letting out a small chuckle.

Theo sizes Liam up, before he speaks “Well, I am sure what you lack in height you make up elsewhere…”

This time Liam’s jaw truly drops, as he isn’t sure what to say. He did not expect something like that to come from Theo’s mouth and be directed at him. And he has no idea how he should feel about that.

Theo rolls his eyes and chuckles, clearly finding Liam’s reaction funny “I meant your muscles, dummie... Where is that dirty mind of yours going?”

Liam clears his throat, biting his lower lip as he starts to blush. His mind didn’t go there yet and he tries to think of something, anything else so it wouldn’t happen. He really isn’t sure how his body would react if he let his mind go into some dirty thoughts. Dirty thoughts about Theo especially.

Liam hums, trying to change the subject as fast as possible “If I didn't know you are in a relationship, I'd think you are hitting on me.” He says without thinking. It is probably the worst thing he could say, judging by Theo’s reaction.

The other abruptly leans back, his face changing expressions so fast that Liam can’t pick on any emotion. At the end Theo smiles, but it isn’t like before. His smile seems much less honest, much less… real.

“You are right, I have a boyfriend. Guess it's just my charming personality then.” Theo finally says.

“Matches your looks” Liam replies. Apparently his thinking abilities left him for good. “I mean, you're not a bad looking guy, you know? And you look great in photos. Not that I saw your photos. I mean I did, you followed me on Instagram and that's where I saw them” He rumbled, before he finally groaned to stop himself from talking “In conclusion, you're not ugly.”

Liam gathers all the courage he has in himself to actually look Theo in the eyes and is surprised to notice that hint of relief, but also…. disappointment, maybe? Liam doesn’t have enough time to actually try to decode Theo’s look before the other averts his eyes.

“Well, I just thought I should keep up with Scott's friends, you know. Finding out who he hangs out with when I am not around...” Theo says, after clearing his throat. Liam is sure he is imagining the light pink shade on Theo’s cheek. It is probably the light. It must be. Why would Theo be blushing?

“Well, we're not that close, to be honest. We mostly meet on the field or in locker room. But he is a really great guy, he helped me a lot after I got into the team” Liam replies, leaning back a little on the swing. He actually feels comfortable around Theo. The guy seems to truly have a charming personality. “But, you know, having new friends is always nice... I mean, if you'd like to have a new friend” He adds, his voice getting a little shy.

He could be friends with Theo, why not? Because he seems to be extremely attracted to the guy and has been obsessing over him for the past few days? Nah, he will get over it.

Theo seems relaxed, but maybe also a little shy? Liam thinks that is the reason why Theo isn’t looking at him when he finally speaks “Yes. Friends are a good thing. Will you be my friend, Liam?”

 

Liam is about to reply when the door opens and Hayden walks out “Liam, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Our song is playing and I really want to dance. Come here” She calls out with a cute smile on his face.

Liam hums, reality suddenly crushing him. He has a girlfriend. A girlfriend he completely forgot about the second he looked into Theo’s eyes. He can’t help but feel guilty about it, so he quickly gets up to do what she asked from him. “Gotta go, duty calls” He says to Theo with a small smile, before he makes his way to Hayden. He takes her hand and is about to walk inside, but remembers he didn’t reply to Theo’s question.

Liam turns around to look at the other with a bright smile “I’d love to, by the way” He calls to him, his smile going even wider at the confused look on Theo’s face “I’d love to be your friend” He clarifies, before he lets Hayden drag him back inside.

As they reach the dance floor, Liam wraps his arms around Hayden’s waist, smiling at her and really enjoying dancing with her. It actually helps him a lot, because he knows that if he lets his mind focus on anything other than dancing right now, he’d just overanalyze his conversation with Theo and drive himself crazy.

He has no idea what is going on with him when he is around that guy. He’s never felt like it before and he is sure that sooner or later it is going to destroy him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo goes to a party and wishes he would have stayed home. Until he doesn't.

The first thing Theo noticed about the party was how loud it was. People everywhere and the floor was  already sticky with spilled drinks. He could feel a headache coming, it irked him and that in turn had him feeling annoyed at himself for most of the evening.

He ditched Stiles pretty early on, not really up for small talk, wandering around aimlessly for a while until he found no other than Liam Dunbar sitting outside on the porch swing all by himself. Every brain cell left screamed at him what a bad idea this is but Theo always had been more of a “listen to your guts" kinda guy.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
Now that Hayden came to collect her boyfriend, Theo is left once again, feeling guilty for something that hasn’t even happened yet. _I asked him to be my friend. Like a kindergartner. – But he said yes._ His brain unhelpfully supplies.

  
_Damn it, what am I doing?_ He asks himself, he got Stiles, the most loyal, funny and attentive boyfriend in the world, why is he having thoughts about this guy he just met like two days ago? And has talked to once?   
_Must be those baby blues..._ he should really work on learning how to shut up your brain sometimes...   
 

  
After he wallowed in his dark thoughts for a while the back door opens once again and Theo almost groans when he catches himself hoping it would be Liam, coming back to him.

  
It isn’t Liam.   
Instead five very drunken members of the Lacrosse team stumble onto the grass, filling the silence around Theo with laughter and incoherent words.   
   
He stands up. Time to go.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
“Hey, can you please hand me that beer bottle?”

  
Theo complies and turns around with the bottle in hand. Standing in front of him is, once more, Liam. He grins. “I knew you wouldn’t be taller than me!”

  
Theo smirks back. “Oh yeah?” he turns back around to put the bottle back on the cupboard, sliding it to the back, “Then let’s see how you get your drink down from there.” He crosses his arms in front  of his chest but Liam only raises one eyebrow. “Challenge accepted.”   
He steps past Theo to try and grab his bottle, but even standing on his tiptoes wont work.   
The only thing it does is riding his too fitting shirt up and giving Theo a good view of his trained body core. _I am not looking. I have a boyfriend. Oh fuck it, I am totally looking..._

  
“Uhm... maybe you should just, uhm... get a bottle from one of the coolers?” Even Theo can _hear_ his voice jumping an octave. _Christ! Get a grip Raeken! This is nothing you don't see every day in the mirror!_   
Liam just huffs as an answer. “I am not sure you know what the word challenge means!” with that he climbs on the countertop and grabs the bottle from the top of the cupboard without any problems.   
“I win", he grins down at Theo.

  
“No, you cheated! Even a six year old would have gotten the bottle with climbing up there!”   
“Aww, don't pout", he ruffles Theo’s hair, “sour loser, aren’t we?” then he takes a victory sip and slides back to the ground.

  
   
He is awfully close now, Theo realizes and he can already feel his heart beating faster. Hastily stepping back a bit he shrugs dismissively. “I wouldn’t know, since you didn’t win, you know?” then he turns to the coolers to get another drink himself. Bending down, he can feel his own shirt riding up a little and wonders if Liam looks too.

  
When he turns back, the other boy is biting his lower lip. “The goal was to get the bottle and I got the bottle – how is that not a win?”   
Theo let out a laugh, lightly shaking his head, “I should have known you would try to trick me after seeing you play...”   
   
Now its Liam who is fake pouting. “Oh I would feel hurt, if I didn’t know exactly what I am doing. I always play by the rules. And I always win, it’s not my fault you didn’t see it coming" he shrugs, still grinning, “what about you, do you play any sports?”   
Theo blinks at the sudden change of mood, but he goes along with it _think of Stiles, idiot!_ “I played football at my old school, yeah. Now that I am back I am more of the gym type you know?”    
   
“Oh are you?” there is good natured mock in Liam's tone, but he stares at Theo’s biceps, perfectly on display under the short black hems of his shirt, none the less.   
Theo can feel another blush creeping up his cheeks and he just opened his mouth to answer when Stiles enters the room. “Oh there you are baby! I was looking for you!”   
   
Liam’s face falls and Theo does his best to smile at his boyfriend. They both step back, bringing some distance between them, as Stiles wedges himself against Theo's side.    
“I didn’t knew you two know each other, Liam.”   
Liam clears his throat “Yes, we met today actually, but we saw each other first after training last week.” He clearly feels uncomfortable with the situation, his eyes darting to the living room door.   
But Stiles isn’t suspicious in the least, he tugs at Theo's arm, “I want you to meet some of my friends and you promised me a dance, don't think I forgot that!”   
With that he pulls Theo after him, away from Liam and towards the loud music.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
Finally Stiles had enough of mingling with his friends and Theo, in a weird mood, confused after his encounters with Liam, was able to convince him to leave.   
“Come on Stiles, I am tired...”   
They are almost at the door when someone stumbles into him.

  
“Shit", Liam mumbles as he stumbles again and grabs Theo’s arm for support, he is clearly intoxicated, “I am sorry", he smiles up at Theo and recognizes him, “ohhh, hi!”   
Hayden appears behind him, “I am so sorry about that, I think he got a little too excited about winning the game.”   
“T-that's okay", Theo stutters out, stunned at the sudden confrontation with Liam's girlfriend. “It's getting late anyway, so I guess most people are drunk...”   
   
Liam still stares at him with a dreamy smile, his arm wrapped around Hayden's waist.   
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Hayden nudges him, so Liam hums quietly, “Theo, this is Hayden, Hayden, this is Theo.”   
The situation is getting beyond awkward and so Theo just nods. “Nice to meet you, but I really should get going now, my boyfriend is getting the car.” He points behind himself.

  
   
Liam pouts, “will I ever see you again?” Hayden snorts at his dramatic antics.   
“Well we are friends now, right?” Theo winks at him.   
Immediately Liam's grin is back, “yeah, we are! High fives!”, he raises his hand for Theo.    
Theo raises his hand too, only for Liam to miss it, so he pats him awkwardly on the shoulder instead.   
“See you buddy!” _Buddy? What the hell, man?_ He nods at Hayden, “make sure he gets home alright, yeah?”   
Hayden laughs, “don't worry, I will!” while Liam hides his face in her neck and mumbles incoherent stuff.   
Theo chuckles at the sight cute. “Goodnight, you two.”   
Then he turns around to the Jeep where Stiles is just getting ready to honk at him.

  
   
Five minutes later, they just turned into Theo's street his phone dings with a new notification _@dundundunbar followed you._   
“Hey, why are you smiling like that?” Stiles asks amused.   
“Oh, nothing”, Theo answers, not able to wipe said smile of his face.

  
He is so fucked... 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lacrosse team has a meeting.

“What is he doing here?” Liam asks Corey, as he watches his best friend running over to them. He thinks Mason can’t hear him, but apparently he can.

“Nice to see you too, my dear best friend” Mason says, hiding his wallet into his back pocket, before he gives Liam a quick hug.

Liam rolls his eyes, as they pull away “Of course I’m happy to see you. But it was supposed to be the teammates only meeting”, he explains.

“Yeah, but then Nolan said he’s bringing his new boyfriend Brett and since Stiles’ boyfriend and Nolan’s boyfriend are close friends or something, Stiles said he’s taking his boyfriend too, and a few other people decided that in that case they’re taking their partners too, so I was like: Well, if they can take their boyfriends and girlfriends, I can take Mason” Corey explains, before he shrugs with one shoulder.

Liam frowns as he stares at his best friend’s boyfriend “Why didn’t I know any of it?” He asks in disbelief.

Corey sighs, before he speaks “If you read our group chat on Facebook then you’d know”

“Oh, so I don’t spend my whole life on Facebook and I should be punished for it? Is that what you’re saying?” Liam asks, raising an eyebrow at the other.

Mason rolls his eyes “Would you even bring Hayden here tonight if you knew?” He asks, his eyebrows raised.

Liam hums. No, he wouldn’t. For more reasons than just one. “She hates meetings like this” He admits, quietly. Hayden is a people’s person, but only in her own crowd. Being out with Liam’s teammates always makes her uncomfortable. To be fair, he hates meetings like this too. But it is his team, and he is a vice-captain, he should be here.

“See, exactly. So what’s the big deal?” Mason asks and this time Liam is the one to roll his eyes.

“Well, besides this turning into just a big date orgy that I didn’t take a date to, not a big deal” Liam says, and then just shakes his head “Doesn’t matter, let’s go inside” He adds, before his best friend could comment on his word choice. He just doesn’t want to continue with the subject.

It turns out the three of them are actually the last to arrive. Liam gets a place at the end of the table, saying hi to everyone, before his eyes lock with Theo, who is sitting right next to Stiles in the middle of the long table. Liam gives him a polite smile, before he takes a seat opposite Mason and Corey.

After their arrival it all goes pretty quickly. The talk starts about drinks and pizzas and as soon as their order is placed, everyone gets into heated conversations.

What about? Liam is not sure, as he isn’t part of any. Stiles talks to Scott who is sitting in front of him, Kira is busy with her girlfriend Malia. Theo talks to that Brett guy, Liam assums, as the blond guy is the only one at this table that he doesn’t know.

Liam doesn’t mind that no one is talking to him, he is fine with just being on his phone and texting Hayden that it turned out almost every teammate brought a date with them. She apologizes that she isn’t there, but he tells her not to worry about it.

The first time that Liam notices Theo watching him is right after the waiter brings everyone their drinks. He glances around the table and meets the other’s eyes, a smile stretching across both of their faces. Liam quickly looks away and focuses on the conversation Mason and Corey are having about a TV show that Liam doesn’t watch.

The second time happens barely five minutes later. After checking his phone, hoping someone would text him that his house was on fire or something so he would have an excuse to leave, Liam looks up, his eyes settling on Theo for a moment. He can’t help but admire how wonderful his smile was. The man is talking with Scott and Stiles about something, he can’t tell what the topic is exactly. Then Theo glances his way and their eyes meet for the second time.

Theo’s smile seems to grow slightly. Or is Liam just imagining it? Either way, the older man sticks his tongue out a little, a playful spark in his eyes. Liam snorts quietly, covering his lips with his hand and hoping no one would notice. He bites his lower lip for a second, before he removes his hand from his face and returns the gesture to the other, earning another smile.

Theo rolls his eyes, but slowly, as if he is trying to listen through the talking and catch the music that is playing in the restaurant. He seems to finally catch it, because he stares back at Liam and with the straightest face ever does a little shimmy dance with his shoulders, before he lets out a laugh.

Stiles and Scott both turn to him, but Theo just looks at Stiles, probably telling him it’s nothing, and soon Stiles gets back to his heated conversation with Scott. Now that Liam pays them more attention it looks like they were arguing, but about something not very important. A movie maybe? Liam in’t sure.

He hums softly, noticing that Theo’s attention is back on him, his eyebrows raised as if he is challenging Liam. And how could he refuse? Liam closes his eyes, focusing on the music. It is a Katy Perry song, that much he is sure of. He can’t really tell which one it is, though.

Liam opens his eyes slowly and lifts his hands to his chest level, doing a little dance in return, before he quickly puts then back down, chuckling to himself, feeling so happy when he notices Theo doing the same thing.

“What are you doing?” Liam hears Mason and turns to his best friend. 

“What? Nothing. I was just stretching, that’s all” Liam explains. Mason doesn’t seem sure, but he nods, before he looks back at Corey.

The pizza arrives so everyone focuses on the food. After two slices of pizza, he can’t help but glance at Theo again. He just can’t help himself. Theo’s perfect face is right there across the table. His perfect face with his amazing smile and gorgeous eyes.

Liam is about to look away when Theo raises his head, his face coming into the view. Liam can’t help but smile when he notices the sauce at the corner of Theo’s mouth. He hums and raises his thumb to his own lips, rubbing at the corner to signal to Theo that he has something there.

Theo seems to understand as he mimics Liam’s move, only on the wrong side of his mouth, and then raises his eyebrows at Liam in a silent question. Liam is about to correct him, but then Stiles turns to his boyfriend and says something that sounds vaguely like ‘You’ve got something, babe’, before he cleans the sauce from Theo’s mouth.

Liam leans back in his seat with a sigh. He shouldn’t feel so… helpless. Yeah, Theo has a boyfriend, but he also has a girlfriend. They are just friends. He shouldn’t care about the fact that Stiles is cleaning Theo’s face. Or that he is probably holding his hand under the table. Or maybe even has it on Theo’s thigh. And yet he has to relaxes his hands, as they curled into fists under the table at the thoughts.

“Hey, Liam” Liam hears his best friend’s voice and looks up at him with a hum. “Can you come with me for a second?” The other adds.

Liam frowns a little, but nods at Mason, getting up with him and walking with him outside to get some fresh air “What’s up?” He asks.

Mason bites his lower lip, he clearly looks nervous “Um, so I think tonight is the night. And I’m kinda freaking out here” He says with a hum.

Liam raises an eyebrow “Oh? Do you mean like… sex?” He asks, taking a step closer to his best friend.

Mason frowns “What? No. I don’t think so, at least” He says and hums “I think Corey’s going to ask me to be his boyfriend. Like, officially. I mean, he said that everyone here brought their boyfriends or girlfriends and he took me… that must mean something, right? And then he said he’d like to go for a walk after this, so I think he’s going to ask me”

Liam chuckles softly “Yeah, I think so” He admits, putting his hands on his best friend’s shoulders “Why are you nervous, though? You and Corey have been into each other for so long. It’s not like anything will change between you two”

“Yeah, I guess. I just never had a boyfriend, like, officially. I’m kind of excited but also nervous. I don’t know”

Liam moves his hands from Mason’s shoulders and down his arms, rubbing his biceps softly “You’ll be fine” He says with a smile, before he wraps his arms around Mason in a hug “I’m really happy for you”

“Thanks” Mason replies, softly patting Liam’s back, before he pulls away “I think I feel better now. I just needed to freak out a little bit. Thanks for coming with me”

Liam chuckles softly “No problem” He says “Let’s go back inside” He adds and when Mason nods, they make their way back to the table. 

They sit down on their previous places and this time Liam actually starts talking to Corey and Mason. If Corey is going to be Mason’s official boyfriend, they should get to know each other better.

 

He doesn’t look at Theo for the rest of the night, only giving him a polite goodbye smile, when he decides he was there long enough and could go home, telling the others he wants to study for a test that he doesn’t really have.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interlude I - Theo and Liam have fun on Instagram.

The door closes behind Theo and for a moment he just leans his back against it, solidifying his decision to keep it shut for the rest of the day. Now that he is in his own space again, all the tiredness - kept at distance by food, drinks and laughter before – comes creeping back.

  
The pizza meet up with Stiles’ team had been fun, but like all social gatherings it left Theo exhausted and bare all energy. A smile appears on his lips when he thinks of Liam.   
The other boy had been one of few who had turned up without their significant other and even though Stiles had spent most of the evening talking to Scott, he had been there right next to Theo, whereas Liam had been alone. He knows that he shouldn't feel happy about it but Hayden's absence had given the traitorous spark of hope inside his chest new life.   
Liam had fascinated him from that very first moment on the Lacrosse field.

At first it was curiosity, the need to know what is going on behind those blue eyes, then after getting to know him, it was the younger boy's wit and humour that captivated Theo, leading him to play a dangerous game of a fragile friendship that wants to be so much more.   
   
It had been a ridiculous thing and Theo's stomach churns in guilt even thinking about it but somehow he hadn’t been able to stop himself; it takes all his willpower to come back to reality where he is still leaning against his door and to start moving again.  

  
   
Somehow he manages to distract his brain enough with left over homework (at least his procrastination  of the Spanish verb conjugations is good for something) and his mother's request to hang the laundry that he doesn’t think about Liam again until he lies in his bed later at night, scrolling though Instagram.    
What triggers it this time is a guy eating a massive pizza, all by himself, tomato smears all around his mouth and before Theo could stop his fingers he had already sent it to Liam.

  
_@dundundunbar That u. 😂🍕_   
   
Not even two minutes later his phone chimes with an answer from Liam:   
_@TRaeken More like you, with all that sauce 😝_   
   
It draws an amused chuckle from Theo and he is already typing out the next message.

  
   
It becomes a game between them, a harmless version of the one they were playing before and still so dangerous at the same time. Theo is just as thankful that they don't have to see each other every day as he is sad about it, their different schools a welcome barrier to keep him sane.   
   
Despite his guilt nearly burning a hole through his skin Theo's heart jumps traitorously every time his phone announces a new message from @dundundunbar.  

  
At first it's pizza memes, after Theo's initial message it turns into a challenge of who can find the most ridiculous pizza picture but even after Theo is sure to never want to eat a pizza in his life (the things you see when your Google search says ‘pizza fun pic'...) not a day goes by without them messaging each other.    
   
On Monday after meeting the Lacrosse team Theo wakes up to a picture of messy brown hair, captioned with _bed head or my dogs belly – spot the difference._   
Which he retorts with a short ad video for a deodorant in which a guy gets pulled through the city by a gigantic gorilla in his sleep and wakes up with impossibly messy hair.   
Liam's answer only consists of a string of 😂😂😂 but it still makes Theo smile in the middle of his maths lesson and the knowledge that he made Liam laugh leaves behind a pleasantly warm sensation in his belly.   
   
Brett, who sits next to him shoots a suspicious glance his way but Theo manages to set a straight face again and point at the problem in their textbook.   
“Who in their right mind needs to buy 50 watermelons, huh?”

  
   
And so it continues. On Tuesday he sends Liam the sausage dog in a knitted hoodie that he encounters on his way to the grocery store to buy milk and eggs for Tara's birthday cake, and then he googles ‘dogs in clothing’ as he waits in the checkout line, blowing Liam's messages up even more with all the cute pictures.   
On Wednesday he comes across a bunch of Lacrosse memes, mostly cliche but still funny, he thinks.   
   
On Thursday Theo groans to himself, flopping onto his sister's bed and letting his phone drop on the mattress beside him.   
There's. So. Many. Pictures.

  
And the worst thing is – Liam hasn’t answered yet.  

  
   
~♤~

  
   
Tara Raeken has dealt with many breakdowns from her brother over the years, be it his first gay panic and the following coming out or their move back to Beacon Hills and so she does what is done best in situations like this: she ignores the groaning heap of frustration that Theo had become when he pulled her day bed over his head and continues to type up her college application essay.

  
After an hour and Theo's phone chiming every few minutes she has enough and closes her laptop with a heavy sigh and the knowledge that the essay will have to wait until tomorrow.   
“Okay, I give up. Theo please tell me what Stiles did or let me put your phone to silent, this is not helping either of us.”

  
The blanket pile freezes up. Not that Theo had moved much before but now he resembles a stone statue, then, the quilt is thrown of and Theo basically jumps to his feet.   
Tara reels back “Uhm... Theo...?” but her brother already hightails out of the room.

  
_Okay... well, back to the essay._   
 

  
~♤~

  
   
The initial shock about completely forgetting his own boyfriend for nearly a week gives way to cold austerity when Theo takes a look in his messages and sees that Stiles hasn’t tried to reach out either, at least not to him, if his recent status _‘Study Date 🤓😍’_ is an indicator.   
   
Instantly Theo's panic subsides, the calm spreads through his limbs, slowly suffocating him with thoughts of a looming certainty, wrapping around his brain like poisonous tentacles.

  
_Stiles is with Derek. Stiles is always with Derek._

  
Helpless tears pricking at the back of his throat Theo looks back at his phone, just in time to see a new notification popping up.

  
_@dundundunbar has tagged you in a picture._   
Liam answered. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam spends some time with his girlfriend.

Liam is sick. Dying, as a matter of fact. He googled all his symptoms and that was the result he got. He has a problem with focus, he can’t eat, he has problems with sleeping and his stomach feels like it’s full of bees. Yes, bees. The internet tries to trick him into thinking it’s butterflies, but it’s goddamn bees. And with those symptoms the only possibilities are cancer and love, and since the latter doesn’t really exist, he has to find a way to tell his parents that he’ll be dying soon.

Liam groans from the bed, where he’s just staring at the ceiling. He can’t be in love. He knows Theo for what? Two weeks? And besides, he never felt that way about Hayden, and she is his girlfriend. They built a relationship like people do. They were friends, they got close, they started dating, they love each other. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

But he can’t ignore the fact that his heart starts to beat faster whenever his phone announces he has a notification. He can’t deny that a smile stretches across his face every time he sees that it’s Theo. He can’t pretend he doesn’t giggle like a little girl every time Theo sends him a funny picture. It is all happening. So either Liam’s gone crazy, and to top that he’s also dying of cancer, or he’s in love.

His phone lets out a familiar ‘ding’ sound and he’s quick to pick it up. He actually wants to punch himself in the face for the disappointment he feels when he sees the text is from Hayden and not from Theo.

From: Hayden 5:21 pm  
Hey, Liam. I want to go shopping for a new dress, and I’d love your opinion. Would you like to come?

Liam stares at the text for a moment, before he quickly sends back a message.

To: Hayden 5:23 pm  
Sure. I’ll see you in 20 minutes

Liam gets up from his bed and starts pacing around his room to gather his thoughts. He’s not in love, he’s just confused. Theo is hot and he’s also nice and funny, but it doesn’t mean he’s in love with him. So yeah, maybe he can’t stop staring at his pictures and maybe he’s never seen anyone with a smile so gorgeous and eyes so mesmerizing, but it means nothing. A couple years back he was attracted to Thor and guess what? (He still is, but that’s besides the point.) 

The point is, Liam is not in love with Theo. Theo is just objectively good looking and Liam can see that, but they’re just friends, and there’s nothing more than that happening. Yes. Friends. He can be friends with Theo and ignore the fact that he’s hot as hell. It’s not that hard.

“Who’s Theo?” 

Liam suddenly heard a voice coming from his doorway and almost has a heart attack. “Mom! What are you doing?” He asks, as soon as he calms his racing heart. Was he really saying all of this out loud?

“Well, I was going to the bathroom but then I heard you talking to yourself, so I decided to check if you were okay” Jenna replies with a small smile. “So? Who’s Theo?”

Liam rolls his eyes “He’s just a friend” He mumbles back with a shrug.

“A hot as hell friend that you’re not in love with, I’ve heard” His mom says with a chuckle, before she hums and her face expression turns into a more serious one “Is everything okay with you and Hayden? Would you like to talk?”

Liam shakes his head. He knows he can tell his mom everything and anything and she’ll support him no matter what. But there’s nothing to talk about. He’s not in love with his friend Theo and he’s just leaving to meet with his girlfriend. Everything is fine.

“I’m good, mom. Thanks” Liam replies and walks over to his mother, giving her kiss on a cheek.

Jenna nods her head and gives her son a smile and a quick hug. “Alright. Well, I’m here if you need me” She tells him, before she leaves.

Liam takes a deep breath, sitting back on his best and running his hands down his face. What the hell is happening to me?

~♤~

“Do you like this one?” Hayden asks, showing him another red dress. It’s the fifth one in the last 20 minutes, and to Liam they all look pretty much the same.

“Yeah, it’s nice. You should try it on” Liam replies, with a smile. Hayden nods and quickly goes into the changing room.

Apart from looking at same dress over and over for an hour now, he actually enjoys spending time with Hayden. They have fun commenting on other people’s clothing and even crack up a few inside jokes when an opportunity comes. He has fun with her.

“Liam, can you help me?” Liam hears his girlfriend call out and slowly opens the door to her stall, blinking when he’s suddenly blinded with a flash.

“Oh, come on” Liam groans, rubbing at his eyes, as Hayden giggles.

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t know the flash was on” Hayden says, and she seems to mean it. She pulls him into the stall and then locks it, before she grins up at Liam, showing him the picture she took “But look at your face, it’s hilarious” She adds with another giggle.

After Liam gets his sight back, he looks down at her phone and fondly shakes his head “Delete that” He tells her simply.

Hayden rolls her eyes, but it’s clear she doesn’t plan to delete the photo “Don’t be so grumpy” She says, before pecking his lips and then giving him a cute smile and pleading eyes.

Liam hums, looking down at her and knowing exactly what he wants “Fine” he finally says, rolling his eyes a little. Liam is not much of a social media guy and he doesn’t really like taking photos alone or with anyone else. Almost every photo the two of them post on their facebook or instagram is initiated by Hayden. But he doesn’t mind doing it, if it makes her happy.

Liam stands behind Hayden and wraps his arms around her waist, leaning down to rest his chin against his shoulder, both of them smiling to the mirror as Hayden takes a picture.

“I love the dress, by the way” Liam whispers, before he kisses her shoulder. He can hear another picture being taken. He looks up and sees Hayden grinning, the girl already posting the two pictures on her instagram with ‘The best boyfriend in the world’ and a bunch of heart eyes following. She tags him in the photo and then turns around, kissing him again.

Liam kisses her back, but quickly pulls away, unlocking the door of the cabin and humming “I’ll see you in a bit” He whispers, before quickly slipping out. Right before he closes the door he notices the slight disappointment on Hayden’s face. Okay, so maybe they made out once in a changing room and maybe it started to quickly escalate, but Liam really didn’t want to do it this time. Not when his head was just one big mess.

Liam sits down on a couch that was next to the entrance to the changing rooms. He takes his phone out of his pocket and looks at the instagram notification saying that @hayhayr just tagged him in a photo. For a second he wonders if Theo’s seen it. And he feels awful when he realises that he doesn’t want him to.

This is ridiculous. Theo, his friend, can see pictures of him and his girlfriend. Theo posts pictures with Stiles, right? And he doesn’t care if Liam sees them. Because Theo has a boyfriend and Liam has a girlfriend. And things are fine that way.

Hayden gets out of the cabin and smiles at Liam “Okay, so this is the one. I’ll go pay and then we can go have your favourite ice cream, to make up for all the suffering you went through while I picked the perfect dress” She tells him and kisses his cheek, before she leaves.

Liam smiles as he looks after her. He loves his girlfriend. Because Hayden is sweet, funny, caring and they basically know everything about each other. She’ll be a perfect wife someday, and that’s what he should care about. Love is logical. Love is choosing the partner that is best for you and Hayden is what’s best for him. He’s not in love with Theo. He’s not.

Hayden waves at him, so he gets up and walks over to her, taking the girls hand as they leave the store and make their way towards Liam’s favourite ice cream place. They spend the rest of the evening together, just laughing, having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Liam walks her home and then makes his way back home.

After taking a shower, he lays in his bed and can’t help but look at Theo’s instagram again, opening his favourite picture of the guy and staring at it for a moment. He’s not in love with Theo. He quickly decides to look at something else and opens the pictures he and Hayden took today, smiling softly at how happy Hayden looks in both of them.

Liam put his phone away and closes his eyes, ignoring the little voice at the back of his head that tries to make its way into his consciousness. He loves Hayden.

_But you’re not in love with her,_ the voice whispers right before he falls asleep. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Liam go on a not-date.

Theo sits on his bed, eyes on the ceiling. The light is dim and music is playing in the background, but the peaceful scenario is deceptive. In Theo's head the two sides of his conscience are at war. He lifts his hand to look at the open message once more. It is a note from Stiles, with a cancellation for their next movie night. They were supposed to watch the new Marvel movie but apparently Stiles is out of town with his dad for the weekend.  

  
One side of Theo is loyal and wants to wait until his boyfriend is back, so they can enjoy the movie together, the other side claims that they have waited so long and that the spoilers will be everywhere. The only other person he knows who hasn't seen the film is Liam. They even joked about shutting off the internet to avoid getting spoilered. In a knee jerk reaction Theo opens another chat and types.

  
**Hey Liam! Are you free this weekend?**

  
After a few minutes,  Theo already begins to wonder if he overstepped, his phone dings with an answer from Liam.  
**Yeah, I'm free.  
**

  
He knows that he should wait at least a little bit but the tiny voice in his had whispers Why? You are only friends... an so he writes.  
**Cool... cool. Say, you still haven't seen that new Marvel movie, have you? How about we go watch it together?**

  
This time he almost has to wait half and hour, enough time to go to the kitchen, make himself a sandwich and eat it.    
**No, I haven't seen it.  Mason stood me up and went with Corey instead, so yeah, we could go see it together.**

  
Theo lets go of breath he didn't know he was holding, he asks himself why he was so nervous for Liam's answer.  
**That's great!**

  
Then he realizes how that must have sounded and he quickly shoots an addition. **Not that Mason stood you up of course! But that we can see it together!**

  
_Damn it Raeken! Get it together!_  
He gets up to bring his plate back to the kitchen, expecting a similar pause than before but Liam seems to have waited for him.  
**Haha, I got it. So when do you wanna go? Friday? Saturday?**

  
A giddy feeling rises in his chest and all thoughts about rules are forgotten, he messages back. **Saturday sounds good! I can pick you up, no use to drive separately, right?**

  
For a moment Theo wonders if  that had been too forward but apparently Liam doesn't think so. **It'd actually be great, I don't have a car...**

  
**Great, so the movie starts at 8. Send me your address and I will be there in time!**    
Even though he feels like a teenage girl in a movie he can feel a stupidly wide grin forming on his face - he would see Liam again!  

  
Only when he lies in bed that night, trying to sleep, it dawns on him: this would be the first time they would be alone together. Like, just the two of them. _Oh._ It is a very sleepless night for Theo.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
“Hey. I actually didn't expect you to be so punctual. You kind of give that 'too cool to be on time' vibe “, Liam says with a nervous chuckle, as he gets into the car and gives Theo a smile, before buckling up.  
Theo grins in an attempt to be nonchalant even though his heart is beating faster at the sight of Liam's smile. “Only timely when it's worth it... How are you? Ready to suffer through two hours of amazing cinema with a devastating plot?”, he starts the engine and the truck slowly rolls down the driveway of Liam's house onto the street.

  
Out of  the corners of his eyes Theo can see Liam raising an eyebrow but he doesn't comment  but instead chooses to answer Theo's question. “I can't wait. Especially to see Thor going around topless, which I've seen in the trailer, so it has to happen or I'll be filing a complain!” he grins mischievous.    
Theo chuckles quietly: “Oh? So that's what you are most excited for? A topless Thor?”

  
Liam hums thoughtfully, then his grin becomes even wider: “Oh no, now you know my secret. I'll have to kill you. But I'll wait until the end of the movie, so you can enjoy your last hours.”  
Theo barks out a laugh. “But how will you get home if I am dead?” he sets the blinker and casually changes the lanes, “but yeah, I will definitely enjoy Thor. He is one of my favourites-” he interrupts himself with a quick glance to Liam, “-just my type...”

  
Liam laughs freely now, he shifts in his seat to turn to the driver's seat: “Well, you think that after I kill you, taking the keys out of your pocket will be the hard part?“ he replies with a small chuckle  and bites his lip, “So... Your type is Nordic Gods?”  
Taking a left turn Theo shakes is head, a teasing smile on his lips. “Stealing from the Dead? Oh man, never would have pegged you for that type... Maybe I can convince you to let me live if I pay for the tickets?”

  
Seemingly torn between the two possibilities Liam hums again.    
“Okay, fine. I guess I can let you live this one time. But if I hear that you told anyone about my secret, you can be sure I'll... start crying.”  
While he laughs about the ridiculous threat Theo notices with relief  and disappointment at the same time that Liam let the 'What's your type' thing go, “So there is reasoning with you, good to know. “    
They fall silent for a moment which has Theo thinking frantically for a conversation topic. “So, how was your week?”

  
Liam's smile drops a little and Theo he change of mood in the air even before the other boy opens his mouth. This had been the wrong question.  
“It was... um... I had a lot going on. Family thing. You know how it is” the words come out so quickly, they nearly flow together. “What about you? Is this movie the best thing happening to you this week, or did something epic happen at school?”  
“My week was pretty average actually, kind of boring and lonely; our memes saved me from falling asleep in Econ two times, so I count that as a win. But yes, tonight is definitely the highlight of this week.” Theo throws another glance over to Liam while he tries to fight back his blush over just admitting this.

  
Liam grins. “Well, I'm glad I could help with you not falling asleep and ruining your grades. And honestly, I'm really excited for the movie. It'll be nice to take my mind of off things for a little while and just focus on Thor's abs ...”  
“Yes! I wanted to see it weeks ago but Stiles said-” Theo interrupts himself from finishing the sentence, talking about Stiles doesn't feel right in this situation “-I mean, I had a really hard time not getting spoilered and I am happy to go see it with you. Thor's abs are just a nice bonus...”

  
He can feel Liam's eyes on him, searching his own, but he keeps his eyes firmly on the street, finally the other boy speaks again.  
“Well, then I guess we'll both finally get what we wanted.”  
Liam's words echoes in Theo's head and makes his smile just a tiny bit wistful, repeats quietly. “Yeah... what we want... “ he steers the truck from the street and they roll up on the parking lot of the cinema. “We are here, by the way, so let's go get our fill of Norse gods!”

   
   
~♤~  
 

  
The iconic title melody fills the  auditorium and Theo instantly relaxes into the softly cushioned seat beneath him. Time to watch a movie.

  
After a  good hour Theo can feel himself getting sleepy, the high-strung anxiety from the car ride and the pressure of the week laying behind him finally taking their toll and so he sinks deeper into the pillows. His head drops to the side, landing on something warm and sturdy.    
Liam's shoulder.

  
He freezes, unconsciously preparing for Liam to shove him away, even yell or storm off - but nothing like that happens. Instead he feels Liam's body leaning towards him, shifting as close as the armrest between them allows. And then, in the safety of the dark Liam's hand touches his,  Theo encouraged by the lack of a negative reaction and with a sudden burst of  valour, links their pinkie fingers together.  

  
Everything zooms in on the two of them, sitting next to each other, their gazes still focused on the  screen and for this moment nothing else matters.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The lights are slowly brightening again and all of a sudden the peaceful feeling in Theo vanishes as the reality comes setting in. Regret hitting him like cold water as he pulls away his hand from Liam's. He doesn't dare to look at the other boy. He clears his throat “I... need to go to the washroom. Wait for me?”

  
He doesn't even stops to hear Liam's answer but runs straight out of the room brushing past other people not caring the unwilling glances and murmuring he  produces.  
As soon as the stall door is securely locked  behind him Theo sinks down onto the closed toilet seat and buries his face into his hands, letting out a deep sigh as he feels his shoulders sinking down.

  
_What. The. Fuck was that?_ The safety, the warmth, .. there is no denying anymore. His feelings for Liam are- just as he comes to this conclusion his phone vibrates.  
A message from Stiles.  

  
**Coming back Sunday night late, so we will see each other on Monday, kay? I miss you, baby.**

  
Theo smiles carefully as he walks out of the doors towards Liam. “Hey, ready to go? Do you want to grab a bite to eat or straight home?”    
“I'd love to, but my mom asked me to come home right after the movie, so...”,  Liam answers, the hesitance clear in his voice.  
A weird feeling, compound of relief, anxiety and embarrassment washes over Theo. “Oh, yeah, sure. Wouldn't want to make a bad first impression to your mum”, he laughs almost hysterically as he realizes how much like a date that sentence sounded.  
“Don't worry, she'd love you”,  Liam replies, trying to make the situation a little more casual.  
Nevertheless they spend the ride home in silence, only listening to the softly playing radio, both boys lost in their own thoughts. Then Theo finally stops the car in front of Liam's house.

“So, here we are...”, the blond mumbles.  
“Yes, this is your stop”,  it's a lame attempt of a joke but Theo doesn't want to end the evening in a awkward mood so he turns towards Liam, “I really had fun tonight, Liam.”  
The boy nods softly with a small smile on his lips. “Me too”, he says, locking his eyes with Theo's for a moment, before he clears his throat “Watching Thor shirtless is always fun” he adds with a small chuckle.

  
As Liam's laughter brings the light mood from their first drive back Theo allows himself to relax and smile again  “Yeah, that definitely was the highlight of the whole movie... “ he too can't bring himself to say goodbye and so they just remain in their position, unwilling to move.  
Liam smiles a little wider, seeing Theo happy again, really making him feel good. Then his phone goes off and he takes it out, quickly declining a call. “Um, I should go”, he says, opening the door and getting out of the truck “I'll see you around, Theo. Drive safe.” he adds before shutting the door and jogging towards his house.  

  
Theo doesn't see the name on Liam's display but from the other boy's reaction he assumes it to be Hayden; Liam is out of the truck before he can say something, so he just waits until the boy vanished in the house before he drives off.

  
It is a silent and thoughtful ride home.  
 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Theo go to a bar-pub thingy. It's a group thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one's a little longer, I got carried away. Hope you'll enjoy :3

Liam stares out the window the whole ride back to his house. What the hell was that? He and Theo were watching the movie and all of a sudden Theo’s head lands on his shoulder. Any normal person in this situation would just laugh it off, maybe a little awkwardly, and just make sure this doesn’t happen again. But Liam didn’t move away. Liam moved closer. And he has no idea why. He has no idea why he wants to be closer to Theo.

And then the pinky thing? Every guy in this situation would take their hand away, but Liam tightened his grip on Theo’s. Why? Why? Why? What the hell was he thinking?

The car stops and Liam looks out the window at his house, before he hums and looks over at Theo. “So, here we are...” He says.

“Yes, this is your stop” Theo replies. Liam thinks he meant it as a joke, but somewhere deep down he feels as if Theo wants to get rid of him as fast as possible. And Liam knows it’s probably the right thing to do. But he really doesn’t want to leave.

“I really had fun tonight, Liam” Theo adds.

Liam looks over at him and can’t stop the smile that appears on his lips “Me too” He whispers, staring into those green eyes probably for longer than he should, before he clears his throat “Watching Thor shirtless is always fun” He adds with a small chuckle, just wanting them to be cool again.

“Yeah, that definitely was the highlight of the whole movie... “ Theo replies simply.

Liam feels much better, now that Theo is smiling again, but he also hates the fact his heart starts beating faster when he’s close to the other and that he feels his chest tightening when he looks into Theo’s eyes.

Liam doesn’t realise that he actually leans towards Theo, until he is brought back to reality by his phone ringing. He looks down at his phone to see Hayden’s picture on it. He starts to feel sick. What the hell is he doing here with Theo, he has a girlfriend!

“Um, I should go” Liam says quickly and before Theo can reply he’s out of the other’s car. “I'll see you around, Theo. Drive safe.” He adds, before shutting the door and running towards his door, telling himself not to turn around. He almost makes it to the door before he looks, just needing to see Theo one more time, before he gets back into reality.

~♠~

The next day Liam is actually relieved when he gets a message from Theo with a “dat you xD” and some meme attached. After that they go back to their normal selves, sharing stupid pictures, talking about school or practice occasionally.

The weekend comes around and Mason invites Liam to a ‘bar-pub thing, I’m not sure, I’ve never been there, but Corey says it’s a cool place’ saying he could take someone with, because it’ll be fun to have at least four people so they could play pool.

The first thing Liam does is kill the thought that it sound like a double date. Mostly because he doesn’t want to feel guilty for the fact that Hayden was not the first person he thought about. And because she’s not the person he actually texts.

Hey Theo! Are you free this weekend?

Liam only has to wait a minute for a reply.

If you ignore the load of homework (which I do) - yeah, totally.

Liam can’t help but grin at the reply. Spending another weekend with Theo was going to be really fun. And they wouldn’t be alone, so there would be no more awkward touching involved. Just friendship.

Great. I wanted to invite you to a bar.  
Well, not a bar, it's more of a pub, I guess (is there even a difference?)  
And don't worry, Corey's uncle is the owner, so they'll let us in.  
Oh, and Corey will be there. And Mason. It's a group thing.

Liam never rambled in a text for before, but there’s a first time for everything, right? He stares at his phone and waits. What of Theo changes his mind now that he knows they won’t be alone? What if Theo thought Liam actually asked him out? Like, on a date. No, that’s ridiculous, Theo knows Liam has a girlfriend and Theo has a boyfriend. There’s no way he thought it’d be a date.

Mason and Corey, huh?  
Sounds nice. You ever played pool?

The reply finally comes and Liam is actually relieved.

Yeah, I'm a master at it!

He writes back, because he is.

Then I will look forward to the challenge!

Liam tells Theo when and where exactly they want to meet up and then goes back to listening to Mason and Corey talking about that TV show again. Liam feels sick just hearing the name of it because it’s pretty much all they talk about.

~♠~

“Hey, you made it!” Liam says excitedly when he sees Theo walk over to their booth. He, Mason and Corey were going through the menus to see what they could have to drink, although Corey took all the fun of it when he said his uncle forbid getting any alcohol for them.

Liam watches as Theo glances around at them. He seems a little nervous. “Hey guys, am I late?” He finally asks.

“Oh no, we're just early. Had to pick up those two on my way and I overestimated the time we needed to get here. So no worries” Thank god for Mason being as extroverted as he is. He’s always quick to make friends and Liam is really happy about it at the moment. He wants Theo to get along with his friends.

Liam moves on his side of the booth to make room for Theo to sit and is glad to see the other relax a little before he takes a seat. Liam can feel their knees touching a little and is suddenly blind about the space he has left before the booth ends. No place to move for him. Nope, none at all. He has to touch Theo while they seat, there’s no other choice.

“So, how is everyone doing? Should I go for the next round?” Theo says, before he moves to get up again, clearly still a little nervous.

“That'd be great” Corey says with a hum “But we can't have alcohol anyway, so just get us some virgins”. Everyone raises their eyebrows at Corey and he must’ve noticed, because he’s now blushing like crazy “I mean... just cocktails without alcohol” He explains.

Mason starts laughing next to his boyfriend, before he takes Corey’s face in his hands and pecks his lips, telling him how adorable he is. Liam decides it’s better not to be here right now, so he gets up after Theo. “I’ll go with you” He simply announces.

“After you” Theo says and Liam gives him a small smile as he walks past him, leading them to the bar. When they finally get there, he looks up at the older guy with a hum.

“Hey, are you okay? You seem really nervous and I kinda wanted this to be the opposite of that. Mason and Corey are really cool, so if you're worried about them, you shouldn't be”

Theo sighs, before he speaks “I’m sorry, I am not good with new people... they are your friends and I want them to like me...” He explains.

Before Liam can think about it, he puts his hand on Theo’s biceps and offers him a smile to comfort him a little “Don't worry, they will. You're cool and funny and I'm sure by the end of the evening Mason will be begging me to invite you over again.”

It seems to work, because Theo is chuckling “Well, if you say so. I will still need a little bit of alcohol to loosen up, I'm afraid...”

Liam raises an eyebrow at the other “Corey said we can only have virgins” He says, unable to stop a chuckle at the thought of Corey’s red face “So unless you brought your own, I don't think you'll be lucky enough to have some”

Liam can see the blush on Theo’s cheeks when the other goes through his wallet and pulls out a fake ID “I think I will manage... but don't worry I know my limits and I wouldn't want to forget this evening anyway“

Liam stares at the ID and then at Theo and then at the ID again, before he finally burst out a laugh “Didn't think you were such a bad boy, Theo Raeken” He says with a grin, before he hums “How about we have a deal? You get me a drink and I will keep my mouth shut. I guess after threatening you with murder a little blackmail is the right next step in our friendship.”

Theo seems to take the deal, as he only shrugs, before he turns towards the bar, going through the alcohols “Sure, how about a bottle of vodka and some stuff to mix it with. Saving the money for the fancy cocktails?”

Liam nods “That sounds great. I'm just gonna get something juicy for Mase and Corey. Mason drives so he won't drink anyway, and Corey being the good boyfriend that he is, will do the same, so... yeah”

After Theo orders, the bartender checks his ID and it seems to be a good one, because he doesn’t look suspecting at all. They get their orders and carry them back to the table. Liam puts the juice on Mason and Corey’s side while Theo sets the vodka and maracuja juice on their side.

Mason widens his eyes when he sees the alcohol “How did you get vodka?”

Theo grins at Mason, looking much more relaxed then he did before “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m legally 21 since...” he looks down at his face ID “March 15th” He finally says.

Liam chuckles at that “If I knew you're so old, I wouldn't have invited you. I'm sure sure you'd rather play beer pong with your college bros than sit here with us kids”

Theo lets out a dramatic gasp and clutches his chest “But I am a child at heart!”

Corey rolls his eyes as he gets up from the table, taking Mason’s hand and pulling him with “Well, me and Mase are going to set up the pool table” He tells them, before they leave.

Liam hums softly as he looks after them “Don’t let him fool you, they just went to the bathroom to make out” he said with a grin, before he sits back on his place “So… will you make me a drink, please?”

Theo glances after the pair, before he takes a seat next to Liam “Sure. So… how strong do you want it? Something to forget or was this week better than the last?” He asks.

Liam stares at Theo for a moment, trying to find the right words. Was his week better? No, it was not. It was actually worse. Last week he spent convincing himself that he was not in love with Theo. This week all he could focus on was telling himself that Hayden was the right choice for him and that breaking up with her was the stupidest decision he could make.

“Nothing too strong, please. Just a casual drink, if I have too much vodka we may not have a chance against Corey and Mason.” Liam finally replies. If Theo notices the weird pause, he doesn’t comment on it, and just gets to work. Liam is glad.

“And we can’t have that, right?” Theo comments with a smile and hands Liam his glass when he’s done. Liam waits for Theo to finish making his, before he looks at the older boy “To the winning team!” Theo toasts.

“To us” Liam replied and quickly takes a sip of his drink to hide the blush that is creeping on his cheeks when he realises what he just said. “Wow, this is actually really good” Liam notices with a smile, as he puts the glass back down and licks his lips.

Theo clears his throat and replies “Right? Maracuja juice has just the right amount of sour and sweet to make the Vodka pleasant.” There’s something weird about his voice though, as if he’s mind is focused on something else, so Liam takes his eyes off the glance to glance at Theo. He sees how Theo’s eyes are glued to his lips and as if on reflex his eyes move down to Theo’s.

For a moment Liam feels as if everything around them just freezes. All he can hear is the pounding of his own heart. He holds his breath and it seems that Theo does too. Liam can almost feel electricity between them, he feels as if there’s an invisible magnet pulling them close, but before he can make any move, Mason’s voice brings him back to reality.

“Are you guys ready?” Mason asks, from behind Theo’s back and the older boy flinches at the found of his voice. Liam didn’t see his best friend approach either, and he was facing him.

“Yeah, sure” Liam replies quickly and clears his throat “Come on Theo, lets kick their asses” He finally says, before he gets up.

“Hell yeah!” Theo replies enthusiastically, before they all go to the pool table where Corey is waiting.

The game is pretty much 50-50, at the end there’s only the black ball left and Theo is the one who takes the winning shot, which is not that easy as they were drinking through the whole game, so both of them where a tiny bit tipsy. Theo and Liam both cheer and high five each other, but Mason and Corey aren’t sore losers, so they take their loss pretty lightly. Corey does, at least. Mason glares at Liam.

“Hey, Li. Can you come with me for a sec?” Mason asks. One look at his best friend and Liam knows he doesn’t have a choice.

“Sure” Liam replies and tells Theo he’ll be right back, before he follows Mason outside into the parking lot “What is it with you dragging me out of a social gathering, Mase? Are you going to freak out about you and Corey again?” He asks, trying to lighten the mood when he sees Mason’s face.

“So?” Mason says only, crossing his arms over his chest. Liam replies with a confused look, so Mason sighs “You and Theo” He prompts.

“What about me and Theo?” Liam asks, but the smile that was previously on his face is gone. He can feel this is going to be a serious conversation.

“Li, do you think I’m blind?” Mason says, shaking his head a little “You’re flirting with him. You flirt with each other. You think I didn’t notice all the looks you give each other? You think I didn’t see all the discreet touches? You think I don’t know that if I hadn’t come for you you’d be making out in that booth?”

“This is ridiculous” Liam replies, but he can’t bring himself to put any humor in his voice.

“Liam, admit it, you are attracted to him” Mason says.

“No” Liam replies immediately.

“No, what? No, you’re not attracted to him, or no, you just won’t admit it?” Mason pushes which makes Liam break.

“I can’t!” Liam finally yells at his best friend, letting out all of the things he’s been holding in himself for the last few weeks and putting it all in those two words.

Mason is surprised at first, but then his features are softer as he reaches for his best friend “Because of Hayden?” He asks softly, putting his hand on Liam’s arm to calm him down

“Because of Hayden. Because of Stiles. Because of Theo” Liam says quickly, shaking his head “I don’t know what is happening to me when I’m around him” He says, his voice weaker now. He’s just tired from his own head going crazy on him.

Liam feels Mason wrap his arms around him and hold him close, rubbing his back soothingly. It’s something they always did when the other was upset to calm each other down. It worked. Usually.

“There’s no me and Theo” Liam finally says, putting back his barriers right where they belong “We’re just friends” He adds.

Mason is silent for a while, before he finally speaks “I just want you to be happy, you know that” He says softly.

“We’re just friends” Liam repeats himself. He needs to convince Mason. Mason needs to know there’s nothing there. It’s important that he knows.

“If you say so” Mason only says and they just stand there for a minute longer, before Liam finally pulls back and is met with his best friends patient smile.

“So, now that it’s all cleared out, we should go back inside” Liam says and before Mason can reply, he’s already on his way back. He sits down next to Theo, this time using the space he has so they wouldn’t sit down, touching each other, and looks around. “What are we talking about?” He asks, casually.

“Just… stuff” Corey replies with a shrug.

“I think we should order something to eat. I’m starving” Mason proposes.

“I could go for some fries and a milkshake” Theo replies, looking around “My treat?”

“Actually, I talked to my uncle and anything we order here is on the house” Corey says with a smile. 

“Well, thanks for letting us know after we payed for the vodka” Liam mumbles.

“Hey” Theo says and softly bumps his shoulder against Liam’s. Liam has to stop himself from moving away from him. “Think of it as a price for being able to drink alcohol”

“Yeah, fine” Liam whispers, glancing at Theo and biting his lower lip “I think I’m going to get milkshake with fries too, that sounds nice” He adds with a small smile.

“We could get a big portion and share? I- I mean, if you want to. I probably won't finish mine either way...” Theo proposes.

Liam nods “Yeah, that sounds good, actually. I probably wouldn't finish mine either so that's a good solution. I'm gonna go order for us” He says, before quickly getting up. He can hear Theo ask Corey and Mase about how they met, and since he knows the story from first hand, he doesn’t feel like he needs to hear it.

He goes to the bar and orders for them, glancing at his friends once in a while. He can see how Theo was smiling while talking to Corey and Mason. How relaxed he is. And it makes him happy. He is happy that Theo and his friends are getting along. Because he wants Theo to be around. He wants Theo to meet with them more.

After ordering the food for them, Liam comes back to the table with a hum and sits down on his place.

“Hey, Li. I was just asking Theo how the two of you met” Corey says, casually.

“Yeah,” Theo nods “and I told them that my-” he stutters over the word “that Stiles is with you on the lacrosse team.” He explains.

“Yeah, Theo’s boyfriend is in my team” Liam says, sending Mason a glare to make sure Mason knows. Theo has a boyfriend. They’re just friends.

“Oh right, you were with Stiles at the pizza place the other day. Sorry, I didn't recognize you right away, man. We weren't sitting next to each other, and besides, I was kinda distracted” Corey says to Theo, as he takes Mason’s hand, giving his boyfriend a small smile.

“Totally understandable, don't worry.” Theo replies. There’s something strange about the way he looks at Corey and Mason’s hands. Longing maybe? Liam can’t really tell, but he knows that whatever it is, he doesn’t want to see it on Theo’s face ever again. It makes him look sad.

The food finally arrives and they all get to eating, talking about some random things from music, through movies, to tv shows. Theo talks a bit about his school and his friends. Liam hums as he listens about Brett. He doesn’t sound like someone Liam would like.

They finally decide that it’s time to go, so they all leave the pub. Corey and Mason say their goodbyes to Theo, before they get into Mason’s car, leaving Liam and Theo alone.

Liam gives Theo a small smile “Tonight was fun. We totally kicked their asses at the pool table”

Theo grins back at him “Yeah, we did!” He says excitedly “And I had fun with you too Liam, I always have. Mason and Corey are great friends.”

“See, I told you they’d love you” Liam says with a smile, before he bites on his lower lip “So...”

“So” Theo says, as he shifts on his legs a little. It’s obvious neither of them wants to leave and end their conversation “I will see you at the game tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there” Liam says, before he lets out a small, nervous chuckle “I mean, I don’t really have a choice” He adds and before he can stop himself, he pulls Theo into a hug.

Liam can feel Theo tense at the hug, and starts to think it was a big mistake to do it, but then Theo just melts into him and Liam hates himself for how right this feels.

“Goodnight, Liam” Theo says, but he doesn’t seem to want to pull away.

“Goodnight, Theo” Liam replies, nuzzling Theo’s neck for a second, before he finally forces himself to pull away, giving Theo a small smile “I’ll see you tomorrow” He adds and quickly gets into the car.

After Mason starts it, Liam looks back in his back seat, noticing that Theo is still standing there. He quickly turns back, just taking in a shaky breath. Whatever the hell is happening with him when he’s around Theo, he hates how much he loves it. And he hates that he wants more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up. In a good and in a bad way.

Theo stares at his phone screen, knowing he should feel anything. Something other than the cold knowing certainty creeping into his heart as he opens Josh's message.  

  
**Theo. I think you need to see this.** It says and the lack of emoji or typos alone should have prepared Theo for the picture he now looks at.  
_I should have known. I knew it. Knew it, knew it, knew it..._

  
The phone chimes again and the picture is overlaid by the notification window of another message. Liam.  
**Hey Theo! Are you free this weekend?**

  
He stares at his phone, fighting the feeling of disloyalty he still gets whenever he talks to Liam before he remembers the picture, a single stray tear rolling down his cheek, and types a definite answer.  
**Yes.**

  
And it had been a good decision because Liam answers in seconds.  
**So, me, Mase and Corey want to hang out on Friday. My parents aren't home, so they're going to come over, have some pizza, play video games, maybe watch a movie or something. Do you wanna join?**

  
**That sounds actually like just what I need right now.**

  
~♤~

  
The door swings wide open and a brightly smiling Liam appears in front of Theo. “Hi!” Immediately Theo can feel his rounded shoulders straighten up again and he can't help but smile back, a careful gesture as he fears his composition to fall apart if he moves too fast “Hello Liam.”

  
Liam frowns softly after taking a better look at Theo “Hey, what's wrong?” he asks, taking the other boy's hand without thinking and pulling him inside. Theo follows willingly but shakes his head “No, not tonight. Tonight is about fun and I will not destroy the mood with me being a nostalgic idiot who grieves over what is long overdue”, this time smiling hurts a little less.

  
Theo can feel those blue eyes laying on him for a moment, before Liam sighs, letting go of the matter, “Yeah, about that... Mason and Corey just cancelled on us...” he says instead, biting his lower lip and shifting his weight from one side to the other, apparently not sure what to do.

  
“Oh...” is the only thing that leaves Theo's mouth. _This is either a bad joke or faith._ Then he once more takes a leap of faith, “Well, we don't need them to have fun, don't we? I can still demolish you at Mario Kart, come on!”    
Liam grins at that and nods at him. “Challenge accepted.”

  
They enter the living room where snacks and drinks are already set up. “Pizza should be here in about an hour. I only wish Mason would call me before I ordered three large pizzas”, Liam explains, but Theo only grins.  
“Oh-ho, you don't know how much I can eat! Also cold Pizza for breakfast is amazing, so I really don't see your problem here...” He turns around with a chuckles as he takes in the room, clearly decorated to show the loving family living in this house.  

  
Liam laughs “Glad to know all the delicious food won't go to waste” he hums, “Do you want a drink? I could get some Jack Daniels from my dad's not-so-secret alcohol collection.”  
“Yes please!” as soon as the words have left his mouth he realizes how desperately fast his answer sounded and he blushes, “I mean, with some Coca Cola?”  
But his worries seem unneeded as Liam only nods and smiles at Theo,” I've got you”, he simply says, before leaving the room just to return after a few minutes with two drinks already prepared and sets them down on the table, before he sits on the couch next to Theo and busies himself with starting the game. “So, who's your favourite character?”  
“Well, don't laugh at me, but I always liked Toad. Most people underestimate him because he is so small but he's got some awesome moves!”, he leans forward to take a sip from his glass, slowly feeling himself relaxing as the warmth of the whiskey runs down his throat.  
Liam nods: “I'm not laughing, I actually agree”, he reaches for his glass with an easy smile, “So, what are we playing for? Me and Mase always play for something.”  
Theo can feel his eyebrows raising “Oh?” he leans forward, closer to Liam, “Now this is getting interesting.... I like it. What is your usual stake?”

  
“Well, we usually play with pizza and sodas like this, or beers if my parents aren't around, so the loser takes the trash out”, Liam shrugs, “But we can play for something else if you have any ideas?”  
“How about we make this a bit more interesting?” Theo  leans back into the soft cushions again and crosses his arms in front of his chest while looking straight at his opponent, “The winner of each round gets to ask a question. I feel like I barely know you, even if we have been hanging out like a month...”

  
Liam hums again, “That way, we'll get about five questions in total, so not much of getting to know each other right? How about we ask each other questions during the race and the winner gives the loser a dare that he has to do?”  
“Well, it would have to be good questions... But I like your version better anyway, so let's go!” Theo grins and picks up his controller.

  
Liam follows his example and starts the game, leaning forward, now clearly focused “Okay, so who should ask the question first?”  
Theo shrugs, throwing Liam a grin: “You can start, if you want, I am ready!”  
“Ummm... What's your favourite ice cream?”  
He chuckles while leaning into the first curve, “Really? That's what you go with? It's banana. Boring, I know” he shrugs and looses focus, his cart drifting off the street and he curses before steering it back.  
“Well, I am trying to focus over here, don't have time to think. And banana isn't boring, I actually never met someone who's favourite ice cream was banana. Your turn.”  
Theo hums, trying to come up with a question while also driving properly: “What do you do as a hobby? Other than the obvious, mean?”  
“I don't know. I guess I don't have much hobbies. I really like movies and books... I guess I'm just boring that way” Liam replies and grins after a quick look over to Theo's part of the split screen, seeing how far behind Theo is, “Do you have any siblings?”

  
“Oh!”, he shoots a  smile at Liam, “I like those things too, so they can't be that boring... but yes, I have an older sister. Her name is Tara and I love her just as much as I want to strangle her most days”,  he fondly thinks of his sister, “she is leaving for college next year and honestly, I don't know what to do without her... Fuck!”, he tries to see around the ink blotches appearing on his screen part as a special hits him, “Let me just...”, he steers through a Questionmark block, “Yes!” the powerup brings him back on Liam's heels, “I am back, baby! Since you read, what was the last book you finished?”  
“Aww, that's so sweet. I'm actually an only child, but Mason is pretty much like my brother”, Liam says and winces at the ink, but he's not bothered by it as Theo clearly is, “Last book was... It was Stephen King's book, something about cell phones. To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to it, had a rough time recently...” he replies absentmindedly and then grins as the last lap starts. “So... who do you think is the sexiest actor? Or actress, if you swing that way as well?”

  
Theo scuffs at the “last round” reminder popping up as he crosses the finish line once more, “Yeah, I noticed you two are pretty close, you are lucky to have him...” he trails off as he gets distracted for a moment again, “Since I am actually bisexual and you surely know how indecisive we are, I can't just name one hot person and since Christ Hemsworth is obviously a given - how could he not after that movie”, he shoots another quick grin over to Liam, “I have to give my female vote to Emma Stone. Hot and feisty, the perfect combination - and... those blue eyes...”

  
There is silence following Theo's answer, as Liam is too focused on getting his first place back from Luigi to think much of it, then he comments, “I didn't know you liked blue eyes so much.”  
Theo blushes and shrugs, now almost completely giving up on winning, he just wants to secure his fifth place and be happy with it, “Yeah... I mean, they are pretty right? Nothing against green and brown though”, he interrupts himself with curses as he drives against a wall and the “return” sign blinks up to show him the right way.

  
“I like grey eyes”, Liam only says, before he uses all his focus to overtake Luigi and manages so in the last possible second , causing him to actually jump up from his place, a huge grin on his face, “I win!” he rejoices, sticking his tongue out to Theo in a playful gesture.

  
_'I like grey'_ echoes in Theo's mind and he freezes, stopping to play entirely in his shock, just having the mind to groan as he lets the controller drop to the couch as the winner's theme begins to play and confetti appears over Liam's victorious racing car. “Damn it! I am really bad at this.... but well”, he straightens his shoulders, “a dare is a dare, so what do you want me to do?”  
Liam bites his lip, looking around the room, as he didn't have a chance to think of anything while playing, “I dare you to... strip to your underwear, go outside and yell at the top of your lungs that you lost Mario Kart game.”  
Theo rolls his eyes, “Really Dunbar? Very creative...” he exes the rest of his drink and stands up, “You know you could have just asked if you want to see me naked” then he winks before his face disappears under the hem of his shirt as he lifts it up. Liam makes a point of busying himself with his drink and looking around the room as Theo undresses.  
“I will next time”, he replies casually.

  
The other boy opens his pants and unceremoniously drops them before looking at Liam with a cocky grin, “Well, if this was supposed to be humiliating, I am about to disappoint you...” with that he turns and struts over to the door, hearing Liam scramble to follow him.  
As soon as he reaches the middle of the street Theo yells from the top of his lungs, arms wide open.    
He is not shy of his body but the alcohol surely gives some extra courage as he turns around to face Liam and a very uncomfortable-looking guy with a baseball hat who has walked over to him with a  blinding smile, “Hey, man, are you the one who ordered pizzas?” he hears the guy ask.  
“Yessss! Pizza!” he nearly rips the cartons out of the poor delivery guy's arms and disappears into the house, almost overhearing the nervous “Your boyfriend is very... enthusiastic”, the delivery boy remarks towards Liam. He doesn't get Liam's answer over the sound of the slamming door. “Where did you run off to with my pizzas?”  
Theo lounges on the couch, not bothering to put his clothes back on as he inhales the pizza scent with closed eyes, “Hot cheesy goodness... Hm....”

  
Liam laughs, taking their glasses and making another drinks for them. He comes back and puts them down, before he sits back down next to Theo, “How about we have a break from playing and watch a movie while eating?” He proposes, looking over at Theo, “and you maybe wanna put on some clothes...?”

  
Struggling to sit up without loosing the pizza boxes on his lap Theo nods enthusiastically, “Yes! Netflix&Chill”, a giggle escapes his throat and he puts the food on the table before grabbing his shirt. Liam raises an eyebrow at Theo, watching him for a moment, before he just grabs a slice of pizza, “What are we feeling? A horror film? Another Marvel movie? A comedy?”  
Theo shrugs while hungrily scarving down his own slice, “Don't know”, he munches, “you choose” “god, I haven't eaten since yesterday... this is so good...”  
Liam picks a horror movie out of Netflix' selection and then frowns, as he looks over at Theo, “Why haven't you eaten since yesterday?” he asks, the worry clear in his voice even through Theo's alcohol induced good mood. But he only shrugs once more as the greasy food arrives in his stomach and sobers him up a bit, “Didn't feel like it. But hey, I didn't have delicious pizza then...” with that he settles further into the cushions, shifting closer to Liam in the process, his still naked calves brushing against the other boys legs.

  
Luckily Liam seems to believe him because he doesn't probe further and gets comfortable on the couch, eating the pizza and sipping his drink as they watch the movie.

  
~♤~

  
By the end of the movie Theo and Liam have sunken so deep into the cushions and into each other that they need a moment to sort out who's legs belong to who and they stumble up the stairs in amicable silence.  
The fresher air of the bedroom brings Theo back to reality and when he goes to check his phone, ignored during the evening, the screen lights up showing the chat still open on the picture Brett send him, tears well up in his eyes as everything floods back to him.

  
“And the bathroom is there-” Liam stops his explaining of the house's layout when he looks at Theo and sees the other boy's wet eyes, “Hey, what's wrong?” he quickly sits down next to Theo and softly rubs his back in an attempt to comfort.

  
“I-I...” Theo swallows a whimper and tries again only to have his lips start trembling, before he gives up on talking and simply shoves his phone into Liam's hands, “Josh s-send me this earlier today...”

  
Liam looks at the picture, showing half covered by a room divider, Stiles and Derek at a cafe, entwined hands on the table between them, and frowns, “Oh“, he brings out, not sure what to say, “Maybe it's just a misunderstanding? Who even is that guy?” he wraps his arm around Theo's shoulders, pulling him into a hug.  
A laugh escapes Theo's throat but it's a cold one, cutting through the air like a knife, “ _That guy_ , is Derek Hale. Stiles' tutor, Ex-Lacrosse Team Captain, heir to the Hale fortunes and just overall Superman, if you can believe my boyfriend.”  

  
Then everything just breaks out of him, words tumbling out of his mouth like stones in an avalanche, “I suspected something going on between them for quite some time, all those late night weekend study sessions and seriously! What college student hangs out with a high schooler that much? But hey, whatever, it's not like I could compete against him anyway...”  
Liam sighs deeply and finally puts the phone he was still holding down, “Hey, look at me”, he mumbles softly and when Theo doesn't, he puts his hand on Theo's cheek to tilt the older guy's face so they could look at each other, “You are amazing. And if Stiles is cheating on you, then fuck him” It's his loss. You deserve much better than him. And I promise to kick his ass for you the next time I see him” he adds with a small smile.

  
Theo sniffles and looks up at Liam with glossy eyes, “You really think that?”  
“Yeah, of course”, Liam nods, softly stroking Theo's cheek with his thumb and he absentmindedly leans into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut.

  
Liam doesn't move, he doesn't pull away or lean in, and finally, tired of waiting, Theo closes the space between them, his lips touching Liam's as they unite in a soft kiss, unloading the tension that has been there from their first meeting.

Liam pulls away too quickly for Theo to react in his courage-dazed state, he rises, not able to look him in the eyes as his “Good night, Theo” nearly goes unheard; leaving Theo to sit on the mattress, staring into the void the other boy left behind before his tiredness finally consumes him.  
   
 


	11. Chapter 11

Liam opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling, hoping it was all just a bad dream. Wait, was it bad? He moves his hand and runs his fingertips over his lower lip. He did brush his teeth before bed, but he can still taste the pizza and alcohol from last night. He can still taste Theo on his lips.

It takes Liam almost an hour to get up, but he finally does. He quietly walks into his room and lets out a small, relieved sigh when he sees Theo isn’t there anymore. He puts on some loose clothes, before he goes downstairs. He can hear rumbling in the kitchen and stops in the doorway when he sees Theo going through their cupboards.

“Shit... Where do these people store their flour?” Theo mumbles, which makes Liam smile weakly.

“The cupboard above the microwave” He says, as he takes a step into the kitchen. 

He knows they should talk about last night, but he really doesn’t want to. What is there to say? The kiss, as nice as it was, was simply a moment of weakness for both of them. And Liam is happy to pretend that it never happened.

Liam tries not to laugh when Theo hits his head on the open drawer as he jerks up, probably straddled by the younger boy’s voice.

“H-hey! You scared me!” Theo says, confirming Liam’s thoughts, before he smiles and walks over to his host “Good morning”

Liam replies with a weak smile, staring at Theo’s chest. He can’t bring himself to look into Theo’s eyes, because he’s too scared to see what he could find in them. Instead he just steps aside with a mumbled “Sorry” and makes his way to the coffee pot.

After taking out to cups, he starts pouring the coffee for himself, biting his lower lip. He knows he should say something, anything, but he has no idea what the right words are. Instead he asks “What are you making?”

“Pancakes. Well, I was trying at least” Theo replies. Liam can hear the change in mood in his voice. A moment ago he sounded happy and now some of it went away. And Liam knows that it’s his fault. And he hates himself for it.

“I’ve heard cold pizza is amazing. There’s still plenty left if you’d like” Liam says, finally looking over at Theo and giving him another smile in hopes of making the other boy feel a little better.

“Yeah… I guess we better make sure it doesn’t go bad, you know, since somebody ordered too much last night...”

Liam gasps, clutching his hand to his chest “Excuse me? Blame Mason, he’s the one who waited until last possible second to let me know that he’s a horrible friend and won’t come”, he replies with a small chuckle.

Liam is pleased to see a small smile on Theo’s face, before he leaves to the living room to grab the pizza boxes. So at least Theo doesn’t hate him, that’s a good sign. He takes a sip of his coffee, before he glances at the empty cup.

“Hey, do you drink coffee? And if so, milk and sugar?” Liam calls, already grabbing the pot as he waits for Theo’s reply.

“Black, please!” Theo calls back, so Liam just pours the coffee for him and decides that if Theo wants sugar, he can just take it. “Thought I would clean up a little while I’m at it” The older boy says and Liam glances at him and hums seeing the dirty glasses in his hands.

“Thanks” Liam says only and walks over to the table, putting down their cups, before he sits down. When Theo joins him with the pizzas, Liam takes a slice of pizza and bites it quickly. Not as good as a fresh one, but still good for his little hangover.

“So… any plans for today?”

Theo’s smile falls, before he replies “Uhm, well, I thought we could hang out for a bit longer? Nursing the hangover together, you know?”

Liam nods, taking a sip of his coffee as he watches Theo. He doesn’t like the look on the other’s face, but he knows he can’t do much about it. Theo found out his boyfriend is cheating on him, that must hurt. All Liam can do is distract him.

“Can you tell me more about your sister? I always wondered what it’s like to actually have a sibling” Liam suggests, before he takes another bite of his pizza.

Theo cradles his cup with both hands and smiles softly into the coffee “Tara... She is only older by a year, our parents wanted two kids so they didn't have to entertain us, I suppose... She is my dad's favourite but she never holds it against me”

Liam smiles when he sees Theo a little more happy and relaxes again, as he nods “Yeah, I guess it’s nice to have two kids so when they get bored they have each other to play with. You seem to be really close with her”

“I am, I don’t know how I will stand to be in one room with my dad when she is gone next year” Theo says.

 

Liam nods “I’m sure you two will skype all the time” He says and frowns when Theo’s phone beeps and his smile falls off his face after he checks it. It must be Stiles. Liam isn’t sure if he should say something, but he decides to try “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing” Theo replies immediately “So, what did you have planned until I so rudely invited myself to stay?”

Liam watches Theo for a moment, before he finally hums and decides to let it go. Theo clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “Nothing, to be honest. I was just going to watch some movies, maybe do my homework, clean up a bit. Just a boring Saturday” He admits.

“Oh!” Theo lets out, suddenly “I forgot about my English paper! Damn it!” He groans a little, clearly angry with himself “Seems like I don’t have as much time as I thought, but how about I help you clean our mess first?”

Liam shakes his head “It’s okay, you don’t have to. If it’s an important paper, I think you should get to is asap”

Liam hopes it’s not obvious he’s looking for a reason to make Theo leave. As much as he wants the older boy to stay, and he wants that VERY much, he needs some time to process this whole thing that was between them, and he was unable to do so with Theo right next to him. Liam just couldn’t think clearly when Theo was around.

“Oh no, you can totally help me procrastinate! Unless you want to get rid of me?” Theo replies with a grin.

Liam rolls his eyes “A little manipulative, are we now?” He replies, raising an eyebrow “You're talking to a murderer and a thief, I will not be tricked into telling you how much I want you to stay here with me” He ads, before taking a sip of his coffee.

It’s only when Theo looks down at his plate, trying to hide his smile and blush that Liam realizes that he in fact just admitted how much he wants Theo to stay.

“Yeah, well, I am just trying to adapt to your way” Theo finally tells him with a wink.

After they finish their breakfast, Liam goes to the sink to do dishes, while Theo goes to the living room to collect all the trash they left the previous night.

When the doorbell rings, Liam curses quietly as his hands are wet and covered in foam.

“Hey, Theo, can you get that please?” Liam calls out, deciding to just finish cleaning the last plate, before he goes to see who is at the door.

“Sure” Liam hears Theo’s reply and soon hears the door opening. No one seems to come in, but Liam can hear a conversation going on at the door, even though he can’t make out any words or recognize the voices. When he’s done with the dishes, he quickly dries his hands and goes to the door, freezing when he sees who just walked inside.

Hayden.

“What are you doing here?” Liam asks, staring at her with wide eyes.

Hayden doesn’t seem to mind his rude question, as she just fondly rolls her eyes “Hello to you, too” She says with a smile “I was just in the neighbourhood and decided to visit you. I know your parents are out of town“ She says, moving her hands up Liam’s chest, before she wraps them around his neck.

Liam hates the fact that all he wants to do is push her away. He doesn’t want Theo to see this.

“But I didn’t know that you had a guest” Hayden adds with a small pout.

Liam clears his throat and nods, pulling away from his girlfriend “Yeah, Theo was just… um...” He says, glancing at the other boy.

“Leaving!” Theo says quickly, before he clears his throat “I was just leaving. We finished cleaning and I should go do my homework anyway” He quickly starts putting on his shoes, not looking at them.

Liam gives Theo a weak, almost apologetic smile “Yeah” He whispers and then hums. They haven’t talked about the kiss and Liam really feels that they should. This could be the last chance to do so “Wait, I’ll walk you. I actually want to talk to you about something” He says, going for his own shoes.

Theo shrugs on his jacket and pats himself, probably to make sure he has everything he needs, still not looking at them “Oh, don’t worry about it, I can find my way, you stay with your girlfriend”

The way Theo says it makes Liam stop on his way to his shoes. Theo doesn’t want to talk to him, that much is obvious. And Liam can’t help but feel awful about it. Maybe even guilty in a way. As if it was his fault that he has a girlfriend. As if it was the worst thing ever.

“Okay” Liam finally says, giving up “I’ll see you around, then”

“Goodbye Liam, Hayden” Theo says, before grabbing his back and rushing out the door, not looking back.

Liam stands in front of the door, staring at it for a long moment and trying to understand why the hell his heart is aching so much.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interlude II - Theo seeks advice from his best friend.

After Theo basically flees from Liam's house, from the awkward tension between Liam and him – or maybe between Hayden and Liam? Hayden and him? his thoughts won't stop spinning. He long since arrived at home but somehow he couldn't bring himself to go inside and face his parents and Tara, they all knew where he had spend the night but only Tara saw the invisible quotation marks around “My friend Liam".

  
Liam with the blue eyes and the sunny smile.   
Liam sends him stupid memes and laughs about the ones Theo sends back.   
Liam who trusts him and really listens.

  
All of a sudden the driver's cabin of the Toyota seems too small to breathe and Theo basically falls out of the truck in his haste to get fresh air.

  
   
He doesn't waste time taking his bag out of the back, simply shuts the door and takes of by foot. At first Theo doesn't have a destination in mind but after almost twenty minutes he finds himself in a familiar neighbourhood and his feet carry him further through the streets and past the houses until they stop in front of a rather impressive building. The house should be called a mansion or maybe even a castle because of it's three storeys and countless bays and turrets, all beautifully interwoven to make the house look like it should rather stand in Marrakesh than Beacon Hills.

  
When he was younger Theo always loved to discover the many rooms while playing hide and seek but today his focus lies on the residents more than the architecture, with fast steps he reaches the front gate and rings the bell. Three times short, two times long.   
After not even a minute the gate swings open without a sound and when Theo steps through it, pulling the metal door shut behind him, the front door is already open, a tall figure leaning to the frame.   
   
A smile appears on his lips and suddenly breathing is easier again as Theo comes closer, “Hello Brett!”   
 

  
The blonde guy, epitome of a Californian beach boy, smiles back.   
“Hey Theo, so you have time for the bell signal but not for a quick text to announce your visit?”   
“Well, can't I simply want to surprise my best friend?”   
Immediately Brett's playful expression changes and he steps aside to let Theo inside the nicely acclimatised house. He hadn't realized how much he was sweating from his walk through the city.   
“Come on, let's get something to drink and we can go sit by the pool while you tell me what is wrong.”   
   
A nervous laugh escapes Theo's mouth, “Nothing is wrong. Why would something be wrong?”   
   
Brett doesn’t even dignify the obvious lie with an answer and so they walk out to the poolside in silence after fetching their cold water bottles from the fridge, only as both of them are settled Brett breaks.

  
   
“So, what did he do now?”   
Theo sighs, “Nothing...”

  
“Sure, because I have never seen you so worked up over anything and the last time one of us turned up spontaneously like this at the other's house was when you found out about your move in fourth grade.”   
“You are right", Theo's shoulders sag down as the familiarity of Brett's presence and the sitting together like this slowly eat away from his anxiety, “I have a problem. But it's not Stiles! At least not only him...”

  
The last part is barely audible but Brett still caught it.   
“Theo Raeken, what the hell did you do?”   
“Nothing!” Brett throws him a glance.

  
“I mean... there is this guy. He is really pretty. And genuinely nice. He actually listens when I talk and he makes me laugh and damn did I want to kiss him. So I did. But!”, he raises his voice at Brett's indignant inhale, “to be fair, I wasn't really myself last night. I found out Stiles actually cheats on me, I was drunk and tired.”

  
“What?!” with a fluent movement Brett jumps up, “He did what? I am gonna kill him! Nobody cheats on my best friend!”   
Theo sighs again, right hand rubbing over the bridge of his nose to try and release the pressure building in his head.   
 

  
Brett takes one look at him before he stops pacing in front of the seating area and sinks down next to his best friend again, softly rubbing the other boy's shoulders.    
“I am sorry, you don't need that right now... but, do you wanna tell me what happened?”

  
And so Theo launches himself into a more or less detailed rendition of the day before.   
When he finishes Brett looks up from the cursed picture, forcefully turning the phone off before he turns to fully look at Theo.

  
“You know, I never liked Stiles, and you know me well enough to believe me when I say that it isn't just because of the recent developments. I can see that he doesn't make you happy, at least not anymore. So if you came for my advice I can only tell you this: It's okay to want things for yourself Theo. You don’t have to stay in a situation just because it's the easiest way or because it makes other people happy. You are allowed to choose what is the best for you and if this Liam guy makes you smile like this just because I mentioned his name, then I think you know what to do.”

  
They fall silent again. Brett because he said everything he needed to and Theo to process his best friends words and so they sit and watch the sun go down, the light turning into a soft orange glow. For the first time since he opened Josh's message yesterday, Theo feels at peace.   
 

  
~♤~

  
   
“Where is your car by the way?”

  
“At home. I kind of... walked?” that comes out as a question and Brett rolls his eyes, putting down the empty bottles, before rubbing Theo's shoulder.

“Come on, I will drive you home.” 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam, you idiot.

Liam’s parents come home on Sunday morning. He doesn’t really feel like talking to them, especially explaining to his dad why his newly opened bottle of Jack Daniels is now almost empty. So when he hears his parents go to the kitchen, Liam takes his chance and leaves the house, making his way to his favourite cafe.

He didn’t get much sleep at night, thoughts about Theo and Hayden going through his mind and making him go crazy. He loves Hayden, he’s sure of that. But his feelings for Theo… He can’t deny that there’s something there, anymore. They kissed. And as much as passive Liam tried to be about it, he can’t pretend that he hated it. He loved it and he wants to feel Theo’s lips on his own again.

Liam walks into the cafe and goes straight to the counter, already knowing what he wants. After he orders his favourite coffee to go, he looks around the small, almost empty place. His eyes quickly settle on familiar figure sitting in one of the corner booths.

Of course, out of all the people in town, this is the person he runs into. When the barista puts the cup on the counter, Liam thanks him and takes it, before he makes his way to the table. He takes a deep breath on his way over there. They need to talk about what happened.

“Hey, is it okay if I join you?” Liam asks, softly nibbling at his lower lip.

Theo looks up in surprise. He has dark circles under his eyes and his eyes are red. He was probably crying most of the night. Liam really feels sorry for his friend.

“Oh, hi! Yes, sure” Theo says, before he closes the book he was reading and puts it in his bag. He then moves his coffee to make more room at the table for Liam.

Liam sits down, looking at the other “How are you?” He asks, before he mentally kicks himself for it and quickly ads “Nevermind, that was a stupid question, I’m sorry” He says with a sigh.

Theo smiles weakly, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes “Yeah... Well, since I am currently avoiding Sti-him and considering the fact that I am still breathing, I would say I am doing pretty good... How about you? How was your Saturday?”

Liam hums “Pretty much how I planned it. Cleaning, homework and then I watched a movie in the evening” He tells Theo. He wants Theo to know that Hayden didn’t stay. That nothing happened between them.

“Good, good…” Theo takes a deep breath, noticeably preparing himself for his next words “A very wise friend of mine said to me that we deserves good things for ourselves, so this is me, trying to make that happen. I like you Liam, I liked you from the first time we met and that kiss... it was more for me than just desperation. I like you and I want to be with you” He laughs nervously, while finally looking Liam in the eyes “Now you know, I am that guy who believes in love at first sight...” Theo trails off, clearly waiting for Liam’s reaction.

Liam is speechless. He wants to say so many things at once. He wants to tell Theo that he wants the same thing. That he wants to be with him, he wants them to be together. Especially now that Stiles isn’t in the picture anymore. But at the same time he knows it wouldn’t be fair towards Hayden. Towards himself. He has his whole life planned out, and Hayden is part of it. And then Theo shows up and ruins everything.

“Theo I-” Liam starts, but stops himself, because he isn’t sure what he’s trying to say. He never expected the other man to say something like that. To just lay cards on the table and tell him how he feels. Liam isn’t good with feelings, he prefered logic and calculations. “Theo, I have a girlfriend. You know this” Liam finally says, “If you ever need a friend, I'm here for you, but....” He trails off, swallowing hard.

Theo finally looks away and lets out a laugh that lacks any humour in it “Yeah... right, your girlfriend... how could I forget that? Since you are so obviously in love with her, going around kissing other guys.”

“Hey, you kissed me, asshole” Liam protests, but Theo seems to ignore that entirely, as he he finishes his coffee and grabs his stuff “No, no it's alright, you don't have to say anything. I understand. I really do.” He adds, before he gets up and just leaves Liam alone, slamming the door so hard on his way out that a few customers turn to look at the door.

Liam just sits speechless for a while, letting his coffee go cold in his hands. It’s not like he needs it anymore, this conversation doing a pretty good job to wake him up. After a while Liam finally just sighs and leaves the untouched coffee on the table as he grabs his own bag and leaves the cafe.

~♤~

The next day Liam is not in a good mood to say the least. He doesn’t get any messages from Theo, which is understandable. He doesn’t send him one either, because… well, what was there to say? He fucked up. He shouldn’t have said any of those things, but he couldn’t take them back. He couldn’t just text Theo and say ‘Hey, you know what? I changed my mind, let’s be together, I’ll break up with my girlfriend at lunch and then we can hook up after’.

Liam actually skips lunch, not in the mood to talk to Hayden or anyone else for that matter. Even when Mason tries to chat him up, Liam’s answers end on one word, so after a while his best friend just gives up and gives Liam the space he needs. It seems that Mason explains to Hayden what is going on at lunch, because after that texts from her stop coming. Not that Liam answered any of those she sent before.

Finally time for practice comes and Liam is in even worse mood than he’s been all day. The moment he sees Stiles he just wants to punch him in the face with his rocket for what he did to Theo. And the fact he hates himself for the same reason doesn’t help the situation. As soon as they start practice Liam starts to play against Stiles, not-so-accidentally running into him, hitting him with the rocket or with the balls. He ones even hits Stiles on the crotch, yelling ‘sorry’ at him, even though on the inside he’s feeling really great about it.

After a moment Coach finally gets sick of it and bans Liam from practice for the rest of the week. Liam doesn’t even try to argue with Coach, just grabs his bag and makes his way to the changing room. He throws his bag against his locker and then hits the metal door with his fist a few times, until he can see red spots of blood on the gray paint that covers the lockers. He looks down at his fist, noticing little cuts on his knuckles. Fuck.

Liam quickly undresses and takes a really cold shower, which somehow helps calm him down and ease his IED. After that he simply dresses and wanders around the city for the rest of the day, not wanting to sit alone in his room, but at the same time not in a mood to talk to anyone.

The rest of the week looks similar to his Monday, although with every day he starts to talk more and more to his friends and girlfriend. There’s prom on the weekend after all, he can’t just ignore his girlfriend or not go.

After all the dressing up and cliche photoshoot in Hayden’s living room, they finally get to school. The music is loud and there’s already a lot of people when they get there. Liam isn’t in a mood for partying, and it seems that Hayden knows it, because she’s quick to join her girlfriends on the dancefloor.

Liam on the other hand just sits at the table, looking bored at all the people around him and wishing he was anywhere but here.

He looks at the door and suddenly sits up straight when he sees who just entered the gym. Stiles with his boyfriend. Liam feels his jaw clench as he sees the two of them together. What the actual hell is Theo doing with that cheating asshole? After everything Stiles has done to him, he just dresses up and goes to prom with him?!

“No need to be so tense, they’re just dancing” Liam hears Corey’s voice, the boy sitting next to him and waiting for Mason to get them drinks. Liam frowns at the other, not sure what he means. He moves his eyes towards the dancefloor and notices Hayden dancing with that Brett guy. Right, his girlfriend. He probably should be jealous of her or something. But he feels nothing and he hates himself for it.

Liam looks at Theo again and their eyes meet just for a second. Liam quickly looks away and decides to ignore Theo for the rest of the night. Or for the rest of their lives, maybe. If Theo is stupid enough to go back to Stiles after all that happened, he doesn’t deserve Liam’s love. Wait, what? No, there’s no love. Zero love for Theo. Stop that, Liam!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prom, Theo's night.

The second Theo enters the prom hall, music already too loud in his head, he can feel Liam's eyes burning into his body and for a split second their eyes meet – the striking blue pierces through Theo's green - before Liam turns back to Hayden. All of a sudden he is hyper aware of everything, his suit, the too tight tie around his neck, the tiny sweat beats running down his back and most of all – Stiles. His boyfriend is hanging onto his arm, already waving his friends while he pulls Theo into their direction and Theo follows, lacking all determination for decisions of his own.

  
_How the hell did I get into this situation? Oh right..._

  
   
~♤~

  
   
Theo takes a deep breath before he taps onto the ‘call' button - _time to do this._

  
It had been almost a week since the dreadful Sunday in the cafe and after moping around a while a plan formed in Theo's head. Liam doesn't want him? Well, Theo doesn't need him. He's got a perfectly good boyfriend right there.   
   
Stiles answers almost immediately.

  
“Babe! Oh my God, I tried to reach you all weekend! Where the hell were you, Theodore? “   
Hearing his voice immediately let’s the mental image of Stiles and Derek together come up from where he buried them along other unpleasant memories.

  
“I am sorry Stiles", he can hear how empty his voice sounds, bare any emotion and so he clears his throat and tries again, “I had a family emergency, nothing too serious but it needed taken care of. Sorry I worried you.”   
Stiles exhales heavily at the other end of the line, none of the two says anything, then the other boy sighs and Theo can almost see him rubbing his nose bridge, “it's okay. Not your fault, I just thought you- I mean, a little text next time would be nice?”   
“Sure”, relieved his boyfriend doesn't suspect anything Theo searches for a new topic, his gaze falls into the brightly coloured prom invite, neatly pinned to his cork board, “so, are you ready for prom next week?”

  
_Who needs Liam anyway?_

  
   
~♤~

  
   
This evening is a disaster.

Even though he is back at Stiles’ side, laughing, chatting and drinking together with Scott and other members of the Lacrosse team and Stiles friend circle – now that Theo knows it's all fake, the rest of his own feelings for his boyfriend seem to have disappeared completely, a realization that makes his little charade so much harder.

  
The theory had seemed simple, show up to the prom with Stiles, be the perfect couple, make Liam jealous and show him that Theo is desirable, lovable after all.   
Only that Liam, after his initial strong reaction does not spare him a single glance, but rather laughs about Hayden's jokes... _time to get tough..._

  
Theo downs his half filled punch glass in one go and holds out a demanding hand to his boyfriend. “Come on, I wanna dance.”   
 

  
If Stiles is confused by the sudden display of affection he doesn't show it, instead he throws himself enthusiastically into the bordering on PDA dance moves Theo initiates. Their hands are roaming and more often than not they are kissing, the dancefloor around them ignored. The feeling of Stiles' lips against his is so familiar, Theo allows himself to get lost in the illusion of a healthy and unhurt relationship. Maybe this could work. Maybe, if Theo just tried a little harder, Stiles would see how good they are together...

  
The newest make out session is cut short as a rough push against Stiles’ shoulders sends the pair tumbling apart.   
 

  
Liam stands behind Stiles, eyes burning into his back, before he is turning to Theo, “Why the hell are you here with him, Theo? After everything he's done to you?”   
Theo snorts and his face closes off when he sees who interrupted them, “Well, that's non of your concern anymore, don't you think? You lost that right last Sunday”, the words sound sharp, scratching in his throat on their way out, “Why do you care anyway? You don't want me, remember – made that very clear.”

  
A frown forms on Liam's forehead as he moves slightly to accommodate other dancers around them, “I lost the right? I didn't know that caring about someone was a thing I could lose the right to do. Thanks for informing me that we're not friends anymore either.”   
“What the hell is going on here?” Stiles asks, as he looks at the two of them, voice torn between confused and pissed off at Liam's sight.

  
Theo laughs but it turns bitter and sad halfway through, “Friends? We were never really friends, Liam...” then he turns to Stiles, “Nothing, baby, just ignore him.”   
“No”, Stiles says, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “this has been going on for too long, so please enlighten me. Are you cheating on me? Is that it?”

  
As soon as that question is out several things happen at once.   
White hot anger bubbles up in Theo and his forced calm posture crumbles to make way for pure rage, fists balled he steps forward, words coming out almost hysterical as his voice jumps up an octave in fury,  “Cheating? Me? That you have the nerve-"

  
He doesn't even get to finish his sentence as Liam shoots out from behind him and punches Stiles square in the face, hard enough for the taller boy to fall to the floor. People notice what's going on and start to gather around them, but Liam only turns back around and pushes past them to get away from the scene without even speaking another word.   
   
Theo stands frozen, trying to process everything that just happened, then he regains control over his body and leans over the still collapsed Stiles, not even bothering to lower his voice.   
“How dare you accuse me of cheating, you fucking hypocrite? After everything you and Derek did behind my back? I can’t believe I didn’t notice but I guess... I loved you to much to see clearly” he stands up straight again, “Oh, and this means it's over, if it wasn't clear by now.” With that he turns on his heel and storms off, people letting him through as they see the murderous glace in his eyes that barely over-shines the tears.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The door slammed against the wall hard enough to make the EXIT sign flicker before it immerses the small back alley into a dim red light again.   
Theo's agitated breathing is the only sound when the door falls shut again and now that he is alone the tears that threatened to spill before finally fall freely. A sob-muffled ‘Fuck!' leaves his throat as his hands hit the wall just seconds before he leans his forehead against the rough stone.    
   
What the hell just happened? Only two hours earlier he had been strongly intent on doing what he can to win his boyfriend's heart back and now it feels like everything crumbles right in front of his eyes; but the more his thoughts run wild, the scene on the dancefloor playing again and again, a feeling of relief mixes into his grief - he is finally free and even if the ending was less than ideal, this could be a whole new start.   
If only there wasn't the fact that his heart is long since gone on yet another boy who doesn't want him...   
Since the first time Theo has layed eyes on Liam Dunbar he knew that this boy would be his downfall, but until now he hadn't realized just how hard he had fallen for him.   
   
 _No._ With a vigorous gesture Theo wipes the tear stains of his face and runs a hand through his dishevelled hair. _I am not giving up that easily!_

  
   
The hallways are mostly empty as Theo slowly makes his way towards the main exit and the parking lot, his steps echo on the cheap linoleum and colourful posters on the walls seem grey in the barely lit passages. There is no point in staying anymore and Theo feels tired after the rush of emotions he just went through. Time to go home...

  
All of a sudden a door claps and a familiar figure exits the main hall.    
“Liam!” he calls out but the blonde ignores his voice and storms off in the opposite direction.

Determined to not let this opportunity get away, Theo starts after him. 


	15. Chapter 15

After punching Stiles, Liam goes to the bathroom to wash the blood off his knuckles. What the hell was he thinking? He shouldn’t have went there, he shouldn’t have talked to them and he sure as hell shouldn’t have punched Stiles.

Liam grips the edge of the sink as he looks at himself in the mirror “Pull yourself together, Dunbar” He mumbles to himself, before taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down.

Now that the anger is out of his body, he can’t help but replay Theo’s words in his head over and over again. We were never really friends, he said. No, they were more. They’ve always been more, no matter how much Liam wanted to push that thought away. No matter how much he tried to deny it. There was something between them from the very first moment their eyes met. But now…

Now Theo is pissed at him for breaking his heart. Now Theo is back with Stiles, who Liam just punched. Is Theo mad at him for doing that? Liam shakes his head and takes another deep breath. It doesn’t matter. You lost that right, Theo said.

Liam finally leaves the bathroom and makes his way back to the gym, where the loud music is playing and people are dancing, as if nothing happened. Liam looks at the crowd of people. He notices Stiles in the corner of the room with Scott at his side, yelling something to his best friend. Even from this far Liam could see Stiles roll his eyes, a red tissue pressed against his nose.

Liam goes back to searching the crowd and it’s not until disappointment reaches his heart that he realised who exactly he was looking for. Theo’s not there. He probably left and went home and Liam isn’t surprised. This probably wasn’t the fun night he was hoping for.

“Liam!” A voice says, equally cheerful and worried as a hand is wrapped around Liam’s biceps “Is everything okay? I heard what happened. I just don’t know why you would...” She stops, pressing her lips together.

“It doesn’t matter” Liam mumbled, giving Hayden a tight smile. She hums in return and a hand disappears from his arm to be wrapped around his waist as Hayden cuddles close to him. Liam’s arms automatically wrap around her like they always do. And it feels like it always does. Nice. But nothing more than that. It feels nice to hug her, but it feels nice to hug Mason too. There’s nothing more to it.

She finally pulls back after a moment, her hands staying on his middle “Would you like to dance?” She asks, softly raising an eyebrow at him. Liam considers it for a second, but soon after shakes his head.

“I’m not in the mood” He admits. Hayden only nods at him.

“It’s okay, I’m gonna go have fun with the girls” The girl replies and kisses his cheek, before she pulls away and starts turning around.

Liam quickly reaches his hand and grabs her wrist, making her turn to him again.

“I’m sorry” Liam says, now realising he ruined that night not only for one, but for two people. Two people he really cares about. Two people he loves. Because yes, as much as he pushes the thought away, he loves Theo. He’s in love with Theo. He lost Theo.

Hayden seems to understand, as she gives him another smile, wrapping her own fingers against his arm and squeezing softly “You hate dancing” She simply says and Liam feels so lucky to have her. She’s patient and understanding. And with that a wave of guilt wash over him. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” She ads.

Liam nods at her and pulls her back close to himself, but hesitates as he looks down at her lips. It doesn’t feel right, kissing her. Not when he can still feel Theo’s lips pressed to his own. Not when he wants Theo’s lips on his again.

Hayden seems to notice, as she pulls in closer, but instead of a kiss, she just presses their foreheads together. It’s still intimate, and that’s what he was going for. “You’re the best” Liam finally says, before he takes a deep breath “I love you” He ads. Because it’s true. He loves her. No matter how strong his feelings for Theo are, Hayden is still important to him.

Hayden smiles sweetly then says “I love you, too” and with that, she pulls away and turns around, disappearing into the crowd and not looking back. Liam watches her go, before he sighs deeply and turns around to make his way out and go home.

This night is a disaster and he actually regrets leaving his house in the first place.

He’s almost at the door when Mason stands in front of him. Liam stops and looks at his friend. As much as he loves talking to Mason, he doesn’t want to do it right now. He’s tired and just wants to go home and forget about this day.

“Dude, what the hell? I heard you punches Stiles. Is it because of Theo?” Mason asks, clearly concerned.

Liam sighs, looking up at his friend “He’s cheating on Theo and he was being a dick, so I punched him” He replies, calmly, before he tries to walk past his best friend, but Mason doesn’t let him do that.

“What’s wrong?” Mason asks, watching Liam carefully. He seems tense and Liam doesn’t like that. Three people. He managed to mess this night up for three people. Well, four, but he doesn’t count Stiles. He deserved it.

“I just want to go home” Liam says simply.

Mason hums and nods softly “Okay” He finally says, probably noticing how numb Liam feels at that moment. Mason gives him a quick hug, before he pulls away “We’ll talk about it when you’re ready” He ads.

Liam can’t help but smile at his best friend “Have fun” He says and finally leaves the gym. It takes him about three steps to notice someone standing at the end of the hallway, right next to the door. Another two to realise who that is. And then one more before he hears his name being called.

Before Liam can think about it, he turns around, making his way away from Theo. Why can’t people just leave him alone today? Liam quickly got into the locker room, deciding to stay there for a few minutes and hoping Theo would be gone by the time he leaves.

Liam sighs deeply, walking over to one of the lockers and just resting his forehead against the cold metal, as he closes his eyes. This is all too much. He realises he wants Theo, just for Theo to not want him back. He realises he doesn’t love Hayden the way he should, while Hayden seems to love him just as always. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe talking to Theo in the first place was a mistake.

He should’ve left that damn swing and never spoke a word to Theo.

Liam hears the door open and close and then slow footsteps. He doesn’t open his eyes to see who it is, and his lips twitch as he gets angry at himself for knowing exactly who it is just by hearing his footsteps.

“Liam, can we talk? Please...” Theo’s voice is quiet, but it doesn’t matter. Here the music is almost non-existent so Liam hears him perfectly.

Liam can’t help but snort “Are you sure you want to? Apparently we’re not even friends” He replies, but his voice lacks the bitterness he wanted to put in. He’s just tired.

“I am sorry. You know I didn't mean it…” Theo says and Liam can hear him pacing the room “I was just so angry at you! How you are just you with your pretty eyes and kind smile and you like me and my stupid heart doesn't get it and I destroy everything and then you still care about me! I wish I had never kissed you…”

“At least we agree on that” Liam finally moves away from the cold metal to look at Theo “Do you think this is easy for me? I planned my whole fucking life with Hayden. She's the one I chose to be with, and yet…” He shakes his head “I look at you and all I can think about is that fucking kiss and how much I want your lips on mine again and how I want your arms wrapped around me. You have no idea what mess you made in my head... and in my heart.”

Theo chuckles wetly, and Liam now realises the other has tears in his eyes. Why is Theo crying? He shouldn’t be crying. Is it Liam’s fault? Of course it is. It’s always Liam’s fault.

“The last few weeks have been the best of my life, you know? Knowing you showed me what I was missing. But…” Theo takes a deep breath and finally looks into Liam's eyes “I can't keep doing this. I can't be your friend, Liam, I am sorry.”

Liam can feel something boiling inside him. He knew Theo didn’t want to be in his life, he made that clear in the gym. But hearing it again right to his face, makes Liam want to destroy something. He’s just so pissed at himself. He has a wonderful girlfriend and yet he still somehow finds himself falling in love with Theo. And now they’re here, Theo telling him he wants him out of his life.

“No” Liam growls and before he realises what he’s actually doing and saying, he walks over to the other and pushes him “No, you don't get to fucking do that. You don't get to mess up my whole life and then just leave. I won't let you.”

Liam expects Theo to fight back, but he doesn’t. He just lets Liam push him, until his back is against the wall and Liam is standing right in front of him. “But you don't want me the way I want you! Please don't ask me to stick around to watch you be happy with Hayden.”

Liam actually shakes his head in disbelief “Are you seriously this stupid?” He asks, his voice far less angry than it was just a few seconds ago. He can’t be angry with Theo being so close to him. With his eyes staring right into his. “I want you more than I wanted anything or anyone in my entire life.” With that, Liam takes a step closer and there’s no more space between them. He can feel Theo’s chest move as he breaths and presses their foreheads together “That's the problem” He ads.

Theo shakes his head slightly, so Liam pulls back a little. But they’re still close. Close enough that their breaths mix with every exhale. With every spoken word “B-but, you said- and Hayden?”

“Theo, please, you need to understand” Liam begs, looking into the other’s eyes and then down to his lips. He wants to kiss him so bad! But instead, he reaches up and softly runs his thumb down Theo’s lower lip, his eyes focused on it as he speaks “I planned my whole life with her. It's not something I can just let go of so easily. But you... You're a different story. You made me feel how I've never felt before. Yes, I love Hayden, but.... but I'm in love with you.”

It feels weird to say it out loud. To finally admit it. And most of all, to admit it to Theo. But now, with them together and alone, Liam actually feels that he can tell Theo everything and anything. Liam is simply too tired to pretend anymore. Most of all, he’s tired of lying to himself.

Liam is actually surprised when Theo pushes him away and his eyes quickly look up into Theo’s. Was that it? Was Theo pushing him away for good, after everything he just confessed?

Theo starts quickly shaking his head “No. No, I can't do this. I won’t be 'the other man'. Especially not after what Stiles just did to me.” He says. Liam can see a tear run down his cheek and all he wants to do is wipe it away. But he doesn’t. He just stands and waits for Theo to say something more. Anything. And he finally does. “You will have to decide who you want - Hayden or me.”

For Liam it’s like a slap in the face. Because all this time he was torn between Hayden and Theo and he never realised that one day he’d have to choose. Let go of his well working, nurtured relationship and go with his heart or choose his mind over his heart, as he always did and not take a risk. But one of those options means losing Theo. And that’s the last thing he wants.

“Okay” Liam finally says, taking in a shaky breath, as he takes a step back closer to Theo. Just this once he can go with his heart. “You”.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heart shaped glasses...

The next days are heaven. Theo feels like he is floating two feet above the ground every time Liam kisses him and the sun seems to shine a little brighter every time he laughs.    
They spend a glorious three day weekend hidden away in Theo's backyard, lazing around, swimming in the pool but mostly making out on one of the daybeds. When Monday rolls around Liam goes with a kiss and promise to text after school.

  
And he does.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The air is filled with shouts and the faint smell of seat in a warm summer’s breeze as Theo arrives at his destination point under the bleachers. Carefully he peaks out between the metal rods to watch the members of the Lacrosse team running laps around the field. The Coach screams at them in a way that has Theo wondering how the man still has his voice at the end of the day. When he let’s his eyes roam further he notices his original target – Liam.

The blonde is sitting on one of the benches, surrounded by water bottles and duffle bags, he is not wearing his uniform, only a tricot with his name and number on the back. Obviously he is still benched for the prom debacle.  

  
A grin spreads on Theo's lips as he pulls his phone out and types.   
**Hey Mr. Delinquent, turn around.**   
   
When Liam looks up from his phone, clearly confused, Theo raises his left hand, waving between the steps so Liam would see him. The boy looks around carefully, assuring that the coach and his team members are still occupied with the training before he quickly stands and jogs over to the bleacher Theo is hiding under.   
   
“Theo? What are you doing here?”, he whispers as he reaches the shadowy area under the metal construction.    
   
“Hey handsome”, Theo grins, stepping closer, “just wanting to see how you're holding up on the bench.”   
Liam groans and lets himself sink into Theo's waiting arms, “it's just so frustrating to watch them play without being able to play with them! And all just because I defended my boyfriend's honour!”   
“Oh, poor Liam”, Theo coos while his hands spread over Liam's muscled back, “luckily for you I know just the thing to do against that frustration...”   
Liam melts further into the embrace, his arms locked around Theo's waist. “Oh yeah? And what would that be?”   
“Well you see, you are here, under the bleachers, with your very thankful boyfriend, where nobody can see you. And there is still an hour training left...”   
There are no further words needed as Liam smiles before he leans up and hungrily kisses Theo, who reprocriates instantly, his left hand buried in Liam's already tousled hair while he uses his right to pull the other boy even closer.   
   
And when Liam returns to his bench and hour later, there is a relaxed smile on his face, that stays even when Coach orders him to clean up the equipment.

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The ice cream melts on Theo's tongue while he listens to Liam's story about a particularly complicated play he mastered today at Lacrosse practice, the noises of the small ice cream shop around them blend together as he concentrates on his boyfriend's voice, a soft smile on his lips.   
   
“...And then I turned around and the goalie was so surprised he didn’t even move when I took the shot!” like every time Liam talks about something he loves his whole body seems to glow and his passion is one of the things Theo adores the most about the other boy.   
“So did you make the point?” he asks, mostly to tease, because of course Liam made the goal.  
   
He just opened his mouth to reply as his phone chirps and lights up. Liam instantly looks down and smiles before taking it in his hand to reply.   
“Sorry, where was I?” he asks after putting the device back on the table after a while.

  
   
This scenario replays a new more times before Theo has enough.   
“Who the hell is so important that they can't wait for a reply until this date is over?” he asks, aggravation clear in his voice.    
Liam sighs. “I am sorry, it's just, Hayden doesn't know what to wear to this family event tomorrow afternoon and so she asked me for my opinion.”   
   
The mentioning of Hayden's name kills the rest of Theo's good mood and suddenly his cookie dough banana ice cream tastes bland and too cold in his mouth.

  
   
~♤~   
 

  
The two boys are cuddled up on Theo's couch, enjoying the quiet atmosphere of his bedroom. Liam has his arm around Theo's shoulders and Theo's head rests on Liam's shoulder, both of them are concentrated on the show flickering over the screen.   
Liam looks at Theo and hums as he watches his face for a while, before he leans in and kisses Theo's temple, smiling at the other when he looks up, “You're oddly quiet today”, he whispers.

  
Theo sighs before tearing his eyes away from the fairly boring dancing scene playing now, “Seems like it, hm?”, he pauses, “Actually, I was thinking... did you get a chance to talk to Hayden yet?”   
Liam looks at Theo for a moment before he slowly shakes his head and ducks it slightly, “No, not yet", he admits.

  
Theo's heart sinks, he swallows hard. “Oh... okay...” he shortly wonders if he should let the subject go but then decides otherwise, “It's just because... well, I am so happy right now and I kind of want everyone to see it, you know?” he throws a reassuring look up to his boyfriend.   
“I know”, Liam nods, “I want that too” he pecks Theo's lips, “I promise you, I'll talk to her. It's just... I need to make sure I know exactly what to say. I don't want to hurt her.”   
“I understand that, I really do”, Theo snuggles in a little deeper,  “Sorry if I have been pushing you.”

  
“No, it's okay, I get it. But I want to make it right. I don't want to hurt her more than it's necessary,  she doesn't deserve that”, Liam admits with a sad smile, “it's not her fault that I fell in love with someone else.”

  
   
~♤~

  
   
Everything around Theo is hustle and bustle, people jumping up and down, screaming their lungs out. The team just won another important game and is officially on their way to the play offs but his eyes only search for the player with the number 9. Liam. And there he is, surrounded by his team - and his girlfriend’s arms. The lump in his throat is permanent by now and he can barely swallow around it anymore.

  
_Why is this so hard? I have to talk to him, now!_

  
   
And so Theo finds himself waiting for Liam inside the Beacon Hills High School, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other, as he watches player after player leave the locker room. He doesn't know if it's cure or blessing that Liam always showers so long. Then the door finally opens.

  
Liam walks out of the locker room and smiles widely upon the sight in front of him, “Theo!” he exclaims and rushes to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around his middle and pulling him in for a kiss.

  
Theo catches Liam around his waist, returning the embrace, “Hey Li! Congrats on the win, you were great!”, his voice is sounding forcefully cheery and so he quickly hides his face in Liam's freshly washed hair, breathing in the scent in the hopes that it comforts him.   
Liam doesn't notice at first, just happily hugging Theo, arms tightly around the other boy's body, before he finally pulls back and sees Theo's face, “Hey, what's wrong?” he asks worried, his hand moving to Theo's cheek. But Theo just sighs, looking anywhere but Liam's eyes, “I don't want to ruin your night...”

  
“Nonsense!” Liam shakes his head vigorously,  “Don't worry about my night. I care more about you than some stupid win in a game.”   
“Alright.” Theo frees himself from the hug, he still doesn’t look Liam in the eyes.  “But maybe we should go somewhere more private for this.”   
“Of course”, Liam's worry-creases on his forehead only get deeper, “your truck?”   
“Sure.” Theo turns to lead the way through the by now quiet and dark school.   
 

  
The driver's door falls shut with a dull sound and silence spreads through the cabin.   
Liam looks over to Theo and reaches for his hand, deciding otherwise in the last second and placing it on the other boy's knee instead,  “So, what's up?”   
And that small gesture is all it needs for Theo's resistance to break and for the words to flow out like a flood.

  
“I... I actually feel kind of silly for being like this because I know you are with me and that you like me but... I just can't help it, he takes a deep breath, “I saw you and Hayden on the field earlier after the game. And I just can't help but feel... _deceived_. You keep telling me you will break up with her - but Liam, it's been two month since prom!”

  
Liam closes his eyes and takes a deep breath a wave of guilt hits him, “I know. And I'm sorry”, says, looking over at Theo, “It's just really hard for me to let her go”, he admits quietly, before he shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts, “I promise I'll talk to her tomorrow, okay?”   
Theo shakes his head disappointed, “You always say that... I just don't know if I can believe you anymore...”

  
“I mean it this time!”, Liam's voice gets desperate and he bites his lower lip, before taking out his phone and typing out a message. Then he shows the display, it is a text, written to Hayden **Hey, can we meet tomorrow? I have something I want to talk to you about. It's important.** before he hands his phone over to Theo completely.   
“All you need to do is press send.”   
   
Theo looks down at the lit up display on his lap, considering his options for a moment before he shakes his head again, “No Liam, this is a decision I can't make for you.”   
Another sigh comes from Liam and he takes his phone back, but deletes the message instead of sending it, not being able to look at his boyfriend.   
The sinking feeling in Theo's stomach gets stronger,  “Yeah, I thought so. Guess this is it then hm?”

  
Liam shakes his head stubbornly. “I will talk to her”, he mumbles.   
“Okay... if you say that." Theo starts the truck without another word. “I am tired”, and it is clear that he doesn't just means the late evening, “Do you need a ride home?”

  
The truck cabin stays silent for a while, before Liam finally looks at Theo, “No, go home. I'll just... take a walk or something”, he says, even though his house is almost on the other end of the city.

  
Theo hesitates, clearly uncomfortable with leaving Liam behind. “Alright. If that is what you want”, he watches in silence as Liam climbs out of the car and looks over at Theo. “When can I see you again?”    
Theo keeps his eyes on the empty parking lot, not wanting to see how small and lost Liam looks in the dark.    
“When you made up your mind.”

  
Liam nods, “I'll just... I'll call you” he says uncertainty swinging with every word. Then he finally closes the door and takes a step back to let Theo drive away. 


	17. Chapter 17

“Thanks” Liam says, as Mason hands him glass of coke with some whiskey in it. He really needs a drink, he’s been uneasy for the past few days. It’s been a week since he and Theo had their first fight. Wait, was it really a fight? There was no shouting or anything. But the result was Theo not wanting to talk to him, so maybe it was a fight.

 

“I’m scared” Liam admits. He was never good with his feelings, but he knows he can tell anything to Mason and with his best friend the words usually just leave his mouth freely.

Mason hums as he sits on the couch next to Liam “Wanna elaborate?”

“Theo told me that I have to choose. Him or Hayden. I mean, I knew I’d have to at some point, I just don’t know how to break up with her. What do I say? Will she hate me after? Will she yell? Throw stuff at me? Will she cry? I don’t want her to cry.”

Mason stays silent for a moment and takes a sip of his drink, before he finally speaks “She would have a pretty good reason to cry.”

“I know” Liam says with a groan, rubbing his hand down his face.

They sit there silently for a moment, just sipping their drinks. Liam knows it’s not classy to drink before noon, but he really needs it to get enough courage to talk to Hayden.

“Look, I wish I could go there with you, but I can’t. It’s something you have to do on your own. And whatever happens, just remember, she has every right to be upset with you, so just… let her let it out. Unless she throws a lamp at you or something, then you duck and jump out of the window if you have to.”

Liam smiles weakly as he looks at his best friend. He knew if anyone could make it easier for him, it’d be Mason.

Liam can feel his best friend wrap his arm around Liam’s shoulder and just holds him for a moment “You can do it. It’ll be hard. It’ll suck. It might hurt both of you. But this is the right thing to do. And after you talk to her, you can go and be happy with Theo.”

Liam nods. Mason is right, he can’t avoid the conversation and no matter how bad it’ll be, in the end he gets to be with Theo. It’s worth it.

He sends a quick text to Hayden to ask where she is and if they could talk, before he finishes his drink and thanks Mason for being amazing.

~♤~

Liam looks up when the door opens and gives Hayden a weak smile.

“Hey” He whispers. She smiles and pulls him into a hug, before she takes his hand and drags him inside.

“You wanna talk here or do we need somewhere more… private?” Hayden asks, glancing towards the living room where her sister is watching TV.

“Private” Liam decides, waving at Hayden’s sister when she looks their way.

Hayden just nods and announces, “We’re going to my room”, before she pulls him upstairs. Liam goes without protest and sits down on the bed when they are in the girl’s room. When Hayden walks over, he looks up at her with a sigh.

“So… what do you want to talk about?” She asks, looking down at him.

Liam hums and takes her hand, making her sit down on the bed next to him. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but he didn’t expect it to be this hard. He wants to say so many things at once, but at the same time he can’t find the right words. Hayden reaches over and gently pushes his hair out of his face, giving him a smile when he glances at her.

“I met someone” Liam finally says. He’s a little confused by the calm expression on Hayden’s face. She doesn’t seem surprised or mad. She’s patiently waiting for more, so he continues “It’s a guy. And we’ve been friends for a while now, but… but I feel like it’s more than that. I mean, it is more than that. I think… I think I might be in love with him”.

It’s still weird, hearing himself say it out loud, but as soon as he does, it hits him how true those words are. He’s completely and unquestioningly in love with Theo.

When Liam glances at Hayden he’s once more surprised at how calm she is. There’s no tears, no yelling, no ‘how could you?’, she’s just smiling at him weakly.

“So you want to break up?” Hayden finally says for him. Liam nods slowly, still watching her.

Hayden hums and nods “Alright” She says simply, before getting up from her bed.

“Wait, that’s it?” Liam asks, frowning up at her. “I thought you’d be more upset. I was prepared for a slap in the face and yelling and all of the things people do while breaking up.”

Hayden shook her head, giving him another weak smile “For a while I could feel something was off. And I kind of figured out that there might be someone else in your life. Besides, let’s be honest, Liam, we weren’t right.”

“What do you mean?” Liam asks, confused. He always thought Hayden was the one for him.

“I mean, sure, we were great as friends and not bad a couple but there was never really any passion between us. We were together because it was easy. Because we knew we get along and that we have common interest. But I always knew it wouldn’t last forever.”

What? Liam is sure he can hear his jaw hit the floor. He planned his whole life with Hayden and now she says she knew they wouldn’t last forever. He kind of wants to be mad at her for it, but he knows that it wouldn’t make sense, especially that he’s the one who came to her so they’d break up.

“But I’d love to stay friends with you. I mean, we’re great as friends, right?” Hayden asks, and by her unsure tone and nibbling her lower lip, Liam can tell she noticed his weird reaction.

“I mean… yeah… right” Liam finally says, before he clears his throat and gets up, opening his arms a little. She’s quick to hug him back and they stay in each other’s embrace for a moment, neither of them saying anything.

When they finally pull away and Liam looks at her calm, smiling face, it actually hits him. It’s over. They’re not together anymore. He can finally be with Theo.

Liam returns the smile, before he says “I’m really glad to have you in my life.”

“Same here” Hayden replies, patting him on the shoulder “So, you wanna tell me about that someone you met? He seems to be really special” She asks, raising an eyebrow. Liam watches her for a moment, trying to find any hint of jealousy on her face or in her voice, but he finds none.

They sit down again and he tells her all about Theo. About how sweet he is, how his smile makes Liam melt, how he’d do anything for him, even punch Stiles.

Hayden listens, laughs and even says some encouraging words and Liam feels better than he’s ever felt in his entire life. He has two best friends who are more than amazing, he has the most handsome boyfriend in the whole world, who he loves with his whole heart and he’s no longer tied to the plan of life he made for himself. For the first time in a long time he feels free to do whatever he wants and he doesn’t even try to predict everything that will happen in his future. With Theo it feels okay to just be and let things happen. And he loves that feeling.

 

Liam leaves Hayden’s house after about three hours and first thing he does is text Theo.

Hey, can we meet?

It’s simple, but they haven’t talked in about a week, and he really doesn’t know what else he could say. Sure, he could text Theo that he just broke up with Hayden, but he feels it’s something they should talk about it in person.

Liam stands in front of Hayden’s house for so long, it starts to feel awkward, but the answer from Theo doesn’t come. Liam finally sighs and makes his way to the nearest bus stop, checking his phone every few seconds.

He has time to wait for the bus, get on the bus, get off the bus, walk to Theo’s favourite cafe, order a drink, wait for it to be made and even drink half of it, before he finally gets a reply from Theo.

Did you come to a conclusion?

Liam hums. Cold. But it’s his own fault, that he let it go for so long, before he finally got his shit together and broke up with Hayden.

Yeah. But I think it's something we should talk about face to face.

This time the reply comes immediately.

Okay. When and where?

Your favourite cafe. I'm in right now, so just come whenever you want.

There’s no reply to that, but Liam hopes that Theo decides to join him. The longer he waits, though, the more nervous he starts to feel. What if Theo doesn’t come after all? What if Theo is mad at him that it took so long and will stand him up? Liam lets his thoughts go into some impossible places, before he finally hears the ding of the bell by the door and sees a familiar figure walk in.

Theo looks small, which is strange to see. Liam has always seen him as a confident guy, even in moments of weakness when he found out that Stiles is cheating on him. Even with tears on Theo’s face, Liam still saw him as a strong man, but he doesn’t seem like it at that moment.

Theo waves at him and Liam quickly returns the gesture, before he watched the other boy order his coffee and come to the table. Liam softly nibbles on his lower lip when Theo sits down and gives him a weak smile “Hey”

“Hey” Liam replies, returning the smile. “I’ve missed you” he ads. It’s true. There wasn’t a day when he didn’t think of calling Theo or texting him, but he somehow managed to contain himself. And maybe that’s for the best, he feels that if he texted him, Liam would’ve said something wrong and ruined their relationship.

Liam can see Theo’s gaze soften, before he looks away “I missed you too. Terribly... ” he admits and Liam feels something warm in his stomach. The bees are back. But maybe they always were the butterflies. “Look, I don't want to be rude but I just can't do small talk right now.” Theo ads, looking into Liam’s eyes again.

Liam sighs and nods. Right, they came here to talk about other things. He nibbles more on his lower lip, playing with the hem of his shirt, as he thinks of what to say first. There’s just so many things he wants to say to Theo that it’s hard to decide “Would it be okay with you if me and Hayden stay close friends?”. He knows it’s a stupid question to ask, but he doesn’t want things to be awkward or for Theo to be uncomfortable if they ever meet together.

Liam can see Theo’s eyes widen, before he raises his voice “What?! You really think I am that kind of guy?”. Liam just stares, not sure how to answer that question. He really didn’t mean it to come out that way. He wanted Theo to feel good, not for him to think Liam considered him to be jealous or controlling. Liam is about to say something, but then Theo sighs before claiming down again “Liam... I don't want to decide who you spend time with. I just need to know that it's me you want. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Liam nods at that. “No, I don't think you're that kind of guy.” He says calmly, before he sighs “I just wanted to make sure that you'd be okay if she'd still be around and in my life. Just not as my girlfriend. We broke up today.”

Theo’s face lits up and a smile spreads across his face “Really?” he asks, before he clears his throat, his smile faltering a little “Sorry, that was mean...”

Liam can’t help but laugh a little, as he moves closer to Theo and takes his hand “That’s okay. We weren’t right for each other. We were together because it was easy, but then… well, then I fell head over heels for someone else” He admits.

Liam smiles widely as he sees a blush on Theo’s cheek “So... does that mean I can kiss you now? Right here is the cafe? For anyone to see?”

Liam nods quickly “If that’s what you want.”

They both lean in, closing their eyes. Liam can feel Theo’s smile as they kiss, and his own smile is just as big. And at that moment Liam finally knew what it means to be truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this story is almost over


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happily ever after. Finally.
> 
> Funfact: the graduation speech is by Ellen DeGeneres.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is light smut in the last scene. If you want to skip it, just stop reading after “So, what are you waiting for?” 😊

Liam smiles softly as he feels Theo’s lips on his temple, then looks up at his boyfriend.   
   
“What was that for?” Liam asks, quietly.   
   
“For being amazing” Theo replies with a grin.   
   
“Awww, you guys are so cute” Mason says from across the table. Liam chuckles as he looks over at his best friend.   
 

  
Liam really didn’t like the idea of a triple date. He could understand if he, Mase, Corey, Brett, Nolan and Theo would just casually get out and spend some time together as a group, but giving it an official date label made him stress. Luckly, it’s much more fun than he expected it to be, and since it’s a date, he can kiss his boyfriend without any groans or annoyed mumbled coming from their friends.   
   
“Thanks, Mase” Liam says to his best friend, before he cuddles closer to Theo. Wait, did he just imagine it, or did Brett just wink and give Theo a thumbs up?

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The situation feels like a deja vu and completely new at the same time.

  
The air around Theo is bristling with excitement as people jump up with the final buzz of the timer, screams of joy fill the air as the truth sets in – Beacon Hills High just won the Lacrosse Championship! But Theo's sole focus is on the players, eyes searching for the number 9. And there Liam is, in the middle of his team face so bright it rivals the sun as he laughs freely, but his eyes are settled on Theo.

  
Without knowing, he breaks into a run, nearly flies down the stairs in his haste and even knocking a few people out of the way; he leaps over the boundary on the field and then Liam is there, catching him as they crash together, lips already hot on his own.

  
“Congratulations, Li”, Theo mumbles as they finally break apart and Liam chuckles breathlessly, leaning his forehead against Theo's, “I've waited so long for you to hear that...”

  
   
~♤~

  
   
“I don’t get it” Liam huffs, putting away the book and pouting as he looks up at Theo.   
   
Theo chuckles softly as he turns to his boyfriend “It might be easier if you don’t glance at me every five seconds”   
   
“Well, I wouldn’t be glancing at you if you wore a decent shirt for once, not one that rolls up on your stomach and shows your underwear” Liam protests, rolling his eyes.   
   
Theo lifts his book from his belly to look down at the hem of his shirt, as if he wasn’t doing it all on purpose. Liam knows better than to believe it was an accident. “Well, if it bothers you so much...” Theo says, before he puts his book away and sits up. Liam stares with wide eyes as Theo pulls his shirt off and throws it aside “Here, now it won’t roll up” He says with a grin.   
   
“I hate you” Liam mumbles, but he’s unable to take his eyes off of Theo’s chest.   
   
“Oh? Should I go then?” Theo teases, turning to get off the bed, but Liam quickly stops him by putting his hand on the older boy’s chest.   
   
“Don’t you dare” Liam whispers and quickly moves to straddle Theo’s hips to make sure he’s not going anywhere. Liam grins when he hears a gasp escape Theo’s mouth, before he leans down and just kisses him deeply.   
   
The kiss quickly turns desperate, as Liam feels Theo’s hands go under his shirt and just a few seconds later they pull away just so that shirt could be thrown next to Theo’s. They start kissing again, Liam’s hand in Theo’s hair and Theo’s hands moving down to Liam’s ass.   
   
That’s when they hear a knock on the door followed by Jenna’s voice “Hey boys, we’re back. Come help us unpack the groceries!”   
   
Liam groans as he rolls off Theo.

  
   
~♤~   
 

  
“Never follow anyone else's path, unless you are in the woods and you're lost and you see a path, then by all means you should follow that. Don't give advice, it will come back and bite you in the ass. Don't take anyone else's advice - So my advice to you is to be true to yourself and everything will be fine. Thank you for four legendary years, guys!”   
   
Her last words spoken, the girl on the podium tosses her hat in the air and the crowd of black clothed high school graduates mimics her movements, for a moment the sky is darkened by the hats until the sun’s brightness comes back with full force.

  
Theo applauds with the rest of the spectators, but nothing is louder than his heart, screaming with joy as he watches Liam coming towards him and Jenna and David, making his way through the crowd, pulling all three of them into a big hug. And in that moment, both of them officially finished with school, surrounded by friends and family, the endless summer ahead of them, it finally felt like everything would be alright.   

  
   
~♤~

  
   
The dorm room door closes with a soft thud.

  
“So...” Liam said, strutting closer to Theo, now that we are finally alone... what do you think about putting this brand new mattress to a test?” his arms encircle Theo’s waist, one hand cupping the back of his head.    
Theo can feel his heart picking up speed. This is it, the moment they had longed for all those nights in their bedrooms, parents and siblings next door, always at risk of getting interrupted.    
He smiles at Liam, “So, what are you waiting for?”   
   
In a tumbling mess o heated kisses and hasty touches they somehow make it over to the bed and Liam takes a step back, taking his boyfriend in from head to toe. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” He steps right against Theo, his hand roaming over the other boy's bare back and ass, pressing their bodies together as he kisses his neck.

  
“Can I suck you like this?” the words spill out of Theo before he can think twice.   
Liam’s head snaps up. “Fuck yes.” His next kiss is hard and wet, “you want to get on your knees for me?”   
Nodding, Theo drops to his knees, not caring about the hard parquet floor, who gives a shit about hurting knees when Liam's dick is about to be in his mouth?   
 

  
He gets a hold of Liam's thighs, feeling the muscles tighten under his grip as his other hand reaches for the already half hard cock in front of his face.   
And fuck the taste of him – sweaty from the moving in, earthy and Male – makes Theo's head spin as he licks and sucks carefully, testing out the waters.   
“Mmm, that’s it. Your mouth was made for this", Liam mutters, his fingers carding through Theo's already tousled hair, grip tightening as Theo licks the underside of his cock, tonguing a long vein and making him gasp.   
“Oh fuck, you have to stop if you want this to go any further tonight!”   
   
Moaning, Theo sucks harder and resists reaching down to his own straining cock. Liam pulls him back a few moments later, “Fuck, look at you...” he pulls Theo to his feet and dives for his mouth, tongues winding together. When he tears away to breathe, he murmurs “So gorgeous, babe.”

  
They kiss again, slower this time and for a minute they just stand pressed together before Liam snakes a finger around their bodies towards Theo's ass, “I can’t wait to get more of this...” with those words he pushes Theo who falls back onto the bed behind him, letting out a surprised squawk that has Liam giggling as he crawls behind him into the sheets. Pressing soft kisses onto Theo's tummy he whispers “Turn over baby, I will make you feel so good.”   
Theo scrambles to turn onto his belly, hastily shoving a pillow under himself briefly rutting against it before he spreads his legs so Liam can climb between them. He doesn’t waste any time parting his cheeks but chooses to tease first, dipping his thumb along Theo's crease, barely skimming over his hole.   
“Come on”, he whines, craning his neck to see.   
Laughing, Liam bends over and presses sloppy kisses to his ass cheeks, moving closer and closer to where they both want him to be.   
When he finally flicks his tongue over Theo's hole, his cry echoes of the still pretty bare walls. He licks fully now, only spurred on by Theo's moans.   
“Please, Liam!”   
A lube slick finger (Theo isn't even surprised by Liam's preparation anymore) joins Liam's tongue while he licks the stretched rim. “That's it, you’re doing so good Theo.”   
It gets harder to breathe when a second finger joins in the pain and pleasure indistinguishable.  

  
“You've never played with your ass? You’re so tight.”   
“Not much", Theo gasps, “it never is as much fun alone and Stiles... he wanted to wait till college.”   
“Well, this is his loss", Liam sounds content to be Theo's first, his fingers speed up until they push and pull in a nice rhythm, making him forget every thought he had of his ex boyfriend.    
“You like this? Me opening you up? You want me to make you feel even better?”   
“Yes... please... Liam...” are the only words Theo gets out, he is sweating and his own dick is unbelievably hard, he is rutting against the pillow to release some tension but it only gets worse.   
Then Liam slides his fingers have out of him all of a sudden and there's the sound of foil tearing up before he stretches out next to Theo on his back, lifting him up and over him.   
Straddling his hips , Theo lays his palms on the chest beneath him, rubbing the thick hair scattered there.   
Liam is breathing hard too, his lips parted as he rubs up and down Theo's flanks.   
“Ready?”, he asks.   
“So fucking ready.”   
Theo leans down and they kiss again, the words meaning so much more than just sex.   
   
This is them, starting their future together, the beginning of everything. 


End file.
